The Eternal Dream
by The Reaver of Souls
Summary: With a lullaby ringing in his mind and his dead lover's image haunting him Sora battles against the Curse of the Tattoo. Along with Roxas, who is in turn seeking his lost lover Axel, the boys will confront an enraged ghost and the pain he carries. SoRiku.
1. The Falling Snow

**Summary-**Sora Kurosawa survived a car crash that took the life of his fiancé Riku Hinasaki. Two months after the accident Sora begins dreaming of a manor, a tattooed priest and the image of Riku calling to him. Along with his cousin Roxas, Sora struggles to unravel the mystery behind the Manor of Sleep and to somehow be reunited with Riku again.

**Pairings-**Sora/Riku, Leon/Cloud and others to come in later chapters.

* * *

**The Endless Dream**

**Chapter One**

**The Falling Snow**

Sora Kurosawa snapped a shot of a broken beam from the upper balcony of the house he was currently photographing. This was his first major assignment in two months and, despite the creepy location, he was finding it relaxing.

The house itself was situated in a valley among the mountains that bordered the city called Radiant Garden. Given the strange and old architecture Sora guessed this house stood tall and proud back when Radiant Garden was known as Hollow Bastion.

The petite brunet photographer snapped another shot of some birds flying in through a hole in the wooden ceiling. The sunlight poured in through the broken roof and spilled across the first floor of the old mansion.

Pieces of wood and bricks decorated the sunken fireplace chamber of the mansion. Some birds had created a small nest on one of the beams above. The whole place smelled musty and damp thanks to the recent rainstorm but Sora could almost see the beauty this place once possessed.

Sora glanced towards the door when he heard it creak open and his cousin Roxas Kurosawa made his appearance. The small blond was helping Sora out with his assignment, he had a camera in one hand and he had just returned from taking pictures of the grounds outside.

Sora went back to snapping shots of the sunken fireplace while Roxas picked up the rest of the gear they were using. They were due back in Radiant Garden within half an hour.

Both boys took up photography as a way to earn extra money so they could go to the best University around. They both possessed quite a talent with a camera and now it was a job and a hobby for them.

They shared an apartment on the outskirts of the city and it was a little big for the three of them. Sora often thought about finding a smaller place for him and Roxas but every time he started looking up vacant apartments he just couldn't go through with it.

There used to be a third person sharing the place with them. The apartment used to be home to three people who were best friends. Now there was only an empty bedroom and a closet full of clothes, books, music and other items Riku Hinasaki loved dearly.

Sora stopped thinking about the beautiful teal eyed man and he concentrated on his work. It was still too painful to think about Riku. It still hurt so much.

"Hurry it up Sora. We'll be late for class." Roxas called as he got ready to leave the room.

"Almost done in here Roxas." The brunet called back. "How were the grounds?"

"I got some good stuff. If we get back in time we can hand these in and you can treat me to dinner." Roxas grinned.

"Sure Roxie." Sora smiled as he took a few more pictures of the sunken fireplace.

"I'll put these in the car." The blond left his cousin alone in the room.

Sora spotted a long corridor with navy curtains hanging over the windows that ended in a right turn that would lead into another section of the mansion.

Without a map he would probably get lost within the many halls and rooms this place possessed. Sora brought up his camera and placed it over his eyes. Making sure he was aligned properly he then snapped a shot of the corridor.

Sora felt his heart jump into his throat as he yanked the camera away from his eye. His body felt cold suddenly and his heart was beating his rib cage violently.

He had to be seeing things, that had to be the explanation, because there was in way in hell he could be actually staring at this person right now. But the hair style was unmistakable, as well as the clothing and the stance. It just couldn't be him…

"Riku?" Axel whispered. The silver haired man couldn't be here…it was simply impossible. Sea green eyes turned and stared at Sora expectantly then the person turned and walked down the corridor.

"Stop!" Sora cried and his legs began moving. It felt as if he had lost control of his body as he ran to the end of the corridor and made that sharp right turn.

When he turned the corner Sora was blinded by a bright light. He brought up one arm to cover his eyes, his other hand gripping the camera in a death grip. What the hell was going on here?

Sora felt his heart beat rapidly again when something cold touched his skin. Sapphire eyes opened slowly and the brunet felt his jaw drop open in shock. He was standing in a graveyard and snow was gently falling from the dark sky above.

"Roxas! Where are you?" Sora shouted. The only thing he could hear was his own echo. "Roxas, talk to me!"

"What's going on?" he cried fearfully. Where was the little blond? Where did Riku go? How the hell could Riku be in this…place?

Turning around Sora saw a door but it was blocked by thick pieces of wood. There was no way he could get through without a tool of some kind.

Clutching his camera and struggling with the fear that was building within him Sora took in his surroundings. The gravestone was a mound of tombstones and it was coated with a thick layer of snow. Shovels and planks of wood were piled up along a wall and the gravestone mound was lying to the right.

There was a clear cut path that Sora could walk through and he spotted another door just a few feet away. The scared brunet felt his heart beat increase when he spotted Riku walking though the door.

When the silver haired man refused to respond to Sora's calls the brunet forced his legs to move and run after Riku. When he reached the door his foot collided with something. Glancing down Sora spotted a flashlight lying in the snow.

"Riku…" Sora murmured. He found the switch for the flashlight and a bright beam shot out, lighting Sora's path.

"Hello! Riku, Roxas!" Sora yelled out but he still received no answer. "This is crazy…"

_Sleep, Dreamer, lie in peace_

_Sleep, Dreamer, lie in peace _

"Hello?" Sora called out when he heard those two lines to a song being sung. He could've sworn it was coming from behind him but he was alone in the courtyard. "What the hell is going on?"

Swallowing the fear that was clogging his throat Sora let his camera hang from his neck so he could push the door open. It creaked nosily and Sora quickly went through.

He stopped when he found himself in a large room. In front of him were thick white sliding doors and a voice was coming from behind them. Sora slowly approached the blinds and he saw a gap. Through the gap he could make out a person dressed in white robes.

Sora didn't know why but he felt the urge to take a picture of this man. Bringing up the camera he looked through the lens. The blue eyed brunet stopped when he realised that the range of the lens was now a blue circle glowing profusely.

Gulping down the lump in his throat Sora took the picture. The moment he took the shot the man in white vanished from sight. Sora backed away when the presence he felt behind the blinds vanished completely.

"I've gotta get out of here." He muttered. If only he could figure out where here is then he could leave.

Sora used the flashlight to see through the room. He saw wooden steps leading up along the blind covered chamber. The floorboards creaked under his footsteps as he walked up the steps and walked across the room.

He saw a flight of stairs leading up to a balcony that overlooked the room itself. Sora could see book shelves and a chest of drawers but his attention was drawn to the corridor to his right. He saw Riku walking down the corridor and turning left.

"Wait! Come back!" Sora shouted as he took off down the corridor towards the retreating blond. "Riku!"

Sora stopped when he saw two figures standing at the end of the corridor. Shining his flashlight on them Sora saw that it was a woman with long black hair that hid half her face. She was holding the hand of a little girl, most likely her daughter.

Like the man in white Sora felt a cold presence just by looking at the two females. He brought up his camera and quickly snapped a shot of the two of them. Like the man they both vanished from sight and Sora no longer felt that cold presence crawling over his skin.

Sapphire eyes fell on another door when he turned down the left corridor. He could feel a presence coming from behind the door and it turned his skin icy cold.

His grip of the flashlight tightened as he placed a hand on the door knob. Taking a deep breath Sora shoved the door open only to stumble into another corridor. He quickly swung his flashlight around to see where the presence was coming from.

"Riku!" Sora called again but like before he got no reply. "Roxas!"

The brunet made his way down the corridor and that chilling presence got closer to him. He felt his skin turn icy and all instincts were screaming to just run and not look back. When the floorboards behind him creaked loudly Sora swung the flashlight around and he practically felt the blood drain from his face. The presence was stronger than ever and Sora was rigid with terror at the…thing before him.

It was a man dressed in white robes stained with blood. The man was wearing a horrific mask that looked like a demon and he was holding a blood stained meat cleaver in one hand. He was saying something but the only words Sora could make out were 'sacrifice', 'blood' and 'Chosen.' He didn't scream, he was too terrified to scream so he did what any other person in his position would do…he ran.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Sora screamed as he reached a flight of stairs and ran up the steps as fast as he could.

"We need more blood." The man said in a raspy voice. "The Chosen cannot awaken." The man floated up the steps, swinging the cleaver near Sora's head.

Sora yelled as he ducked before the blade could hit him. Scrambling away from the robed man Sora grabbed the handle of the nearest door and yanked it open.

As he did so bright light spilled in and blinded him again. Sora felt a startled yell erupt from his throat and he fell to his knees against a hard, wooden floor. When the light subsided Sora saw that he was in a garden and the evil presence chasing him was gone.

"Where am I?" he whispered as he got back on his feet. He saw a large tree in the centre of the garden and there were small red dolls hanging from the tree's branches. "Riku!" the silver haired man was on the other side of the garden and heading towards double wooden doors.

"Don't go!" Sora cried as he ran around the garden. "Please, there's still something I need to say!"

The garden was in the shape of a rectangle. There were also two other corridors to the right and left with the double doors directly ahead.

As Sora ran after Riku he didn't notice the little girl wearing a blood stained kimono and holding a stake and hammer in her hands. She wore a smile on her pale face and when Sora reached the double doors he stopped when he heard that lullaby being sung again.

_Sleep, Dreamer, lie in peace_

_Sleep, Dreamer, lie in peace_

_If the Chosen One wakes from his dream_

_Perform the rite of stakes, his limbs pinned tight_

_Lest the doors open wide and suffering unleashed on all_

_Sleep, Dreamer, lie in peace_

Sora swallowed at the words but when the lullaby began to repeat he shoved open the double doors and ran through. He stopped and brought his flashlight up. He was standing in a large courtyard.

Six stone lanterns, each the size of a man, lined the pathway leading towards another building. Riku was walking under the archway on the building and up the stones steps. The snow continued to fall gently across the courtyard.

"Riku!" Sora ran after the boy. "There's still something I need to say! Oh god, please don't leave me again"

The brunet reached the door to the smaller building and he quickly shoved the doors open. Before he could get a proper look at the chamber another flash of light blinded him and he yelled out against the pain.

He stumbled back only to hit a solid wall. Opening his sore eyes Sora realized he was in a long hallway with curtains billowing in the cold wind. He glanced around for Riku or Roxas but his bright blue eyes fell upon a figure standing against the curtains.

"Who are you?" Sora whispered as the figure began walking towards him. "Where's Riku?"

"I don't want to see anymore." The figure rasped out. Sora backed away but he couldn't see any visible means of escape.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sora screamed as the figure walked towards him.

Sora was able to get a good look at the person. He saw a bare torso covered in blue and black tattoos of snakes and holly. The person was wearing black pants and his feet were bare.

Dark hair covered most of his face but when he looked up and stared at Sora the terrified brunet saw that one of the man's eyes was also tattooed. Sora looked away and he waited for what was to come as the tattooed man reached out to grab him.

Bright light once again blinded the terrified boy and this time he found himself lying naked on a cold stone floor. His body was covered by a thin white silk sheet and his hands and feet were outstretched in an X shape.

Sora wanted to scream when he saw four young girls standing around him. They were holding a hammer and stake in each hand and their faces were hidden by their long black hair.

"Please, let me go!" Sora sobbed but his body refused to move. The girl kneeled at his hands and feet then they placed the tip of the stake over each appendage. "Oh god! Please don't do this!"

The girls ignored his sobs and pleas. Sora could feel the sharp tip of each stake over his palms and feet. A terrible pain coursed through his body and when he turned his head to the side he noticed that his bare arm was now being covered in a blue and black snake tattoo. Sora looked up in time to see the girls bring their hammers down upon the heads of the stakes and yet he still couldn't scream.

* * *

Roxas had gotten bored waiting for Sora to return from his assignment and he was now making his way back into the house. The small blond was scowling angrily as he pushed open the door and entered the sunken fireplace room again.

Class was due to start soon and he didn't want to be kept back again because of Sora. Roxas approached the corridor when he couldn't find his brunet cousin anywhere in the room.

Roxas sighed when he spotted Sora standing at the other end of a corridor. He was standing completely rigid, all the colour had drained from his face and he was holding the camera with enough force Roxas was afraid he'd break it. The blond approached his cousin and he choked when he saw the look of absolute terror on Sora's face.

"Sora!" Roxas yelled as he grabbed Sora's freezing cold arm. The boy screamed and backed away until his body hit the wall. "What happened?" Roxas cried as he attempted to calm Sora down.

"Oh god! I saw him Roxas! He was walking away and I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen! I was lost and these girls hammered stakes into my body! I tried to scream but I couldn't even move!" Sora sobbed hysterically as he fell in Roxas' arms.

"Sora, calm down on. Tell me what happened." Roxas rubbed his cousin's back soothingly.

"I was in this manor and I saw Riku." Sora sobbed. Roxas closed his eyes at the mention of Sora's dead fiancé. It had only been two months since the accident. "I was there Roxas I swear. I saw Riku." Sora cried into the blond's shoulder.

"Let's go home Sora." Roxas murmured sadly.

The brunet was still sobbing as Roxas led him out of the house. He knew it had been too soon to let Sora go back to work but his cousin was dying in their apartment.

Two months wasn't enough time to mourn the death of the love of your life. But what made the pain worse to bear was the fact that Sora had been driving the car the night Riku died. Sora blamed himself for Riku's death and now it was beginning to tear him apart.

* * *

Sora placed his cup of coffee on the counter top as his film developed. The Dark Room had been set up in an old closet in their apartment. Although small it was more than adequate for their jobs.

The brunet rubbed his sore eyes as he thought back to that abandoned house. He was so sure he had seen Riku and encountered that tattooed man along with the girls in the white kimonos.

Roxas had taken him home and given him some pills for his aching head and he warned Sora to get some sleep. Sora didn't blame Roxas for not believing him.

These past two months have been hell and Sora had yet to try and heal the wound in his heart and soul. But the guilt would not leave him alone. It was his fault. Riku had wanted to drive home that night but Sora insisted on driving.

"Riku…" Sora bit back a sob. He reached into the pull out a new photograph of the old house's corridor but he stopped when he saw what he had captured. "Oh god…"

There, captured perfectly in the picture, was Riku.

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**Note-**Can any of you guys guess what horror game I based this story on? Anyway please review and tell me what you think. 


	2. The Camera Obscura

**Note-**Just to let you guys know I changed some of the words to the lullaby. I needed to do it so that it would suit my story and just who the tattooed guy is. And a big thanks to all you guys who reviewed. This story is dedicated to you.

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**Chapter Two**

**The Camera Obscura **

Sora sat on his bed, his mind reeling as he stared at the photo in his hands, the photo of Riku in that abandoned house. It was impossible, it couldn't be real and yet Sora was holding the proof in his hands.

His fingers traced over Riku's form and across his beautiful face. It still hurt so damn much to think about him but Sora couldn't stop. The guilt and the need to somehow preserve Riku prevented him from ever forgetting about the silver haired man. Sora opened the drawer next to his bed and placed the picture inside. He didn't show it to Roxas and he wasn't sure if he was ever going to.

The brunet wiped his sore eyes before lying back onto the bed. He spent hours crying at night because that was when the loneliness became too much to bear. Although Riku had his own room in the apartment the silver haired man stayed in Sora's room at night.

He didn't stay just for the sex. Sometimes Riku would simply ask Sora to hold him at night, whenever he had a really bad nightmare. He always said Sora made him feel safe and protected as well as loved.

It was November now…the month they were supposed to be married. Sora could still remember the moment Riku proposed to him. He had taken Sora out to Touching Starlight, the best restaurant in Radiant Garden and after dessert he had popped the question.

Sora had never felt so happy in his life as Riku slipped the silver band onto his finger then he led Sora to the dance floor. Sora raised a hand to the necklace that now held his crown and the engagement ring.

Roxas had gone to bed hours ago but Sora just couldn't go to sleep yet. He kept reliving memories and moments spent with Riku. They were best friends since childhood then lovers in high school after Riku took a leap of faith and confessed to Sora at the Prom Night.

Kairi, their friend, had laughed and yelled at Riku about taking so damn long to finally confess. They had been together for three years before Riku popped the question that night in the restaurant.

His felt exhausted but at the same time Sora was unable to go to sleep. The incident in that abandoned house was still haunting him along with the knowledge that the photo was real.

Had Riku really been in that house or had Sora been so desperate to see his lover one more time? But that still didn't explain the picture or the bizarre vision of that manor. The brunet sighed heavily as he turned over on the bed so that he was facing the window that overlooked the street he lived on.

"Riku…I miss you so much." Sora felt tears slip down his face. "If I could just see you…just once more…"

It was so hard to think about the boy with teal eyes and dazzling smile. There had always been Riku and Sora. Where one went the other was sure to follow. They made a promise to always be together. It was his fault.

Riku was dead because of his driving and all Sora had left were the bittersweet memories of a love he will never again feel. Kairi often stopped by to see how he was doing. She never blamed him for the accident, no one did, but the guilt was always there, festering like a cancer. Finally Sora fell asleep, with Riku's angelic face in his mind.

The snow was falling gently onto the grounds of the large manor. The stone lanterns provided soft orange light for Sora to see but for the moment he stood in the snow and admired the manor.

He vaguely recalled falling asleep in his apartment and then waking up outside this place. The manor looked decades old and it appeared to have been built haphazardly. Sora felt his body moving towards the large wooden double doors of the manor. He felt the need to enter the manor, an overpowering urge to walk in and find something very dear to his heart.

Sora was dimly aware of the flashlight he held in his hand as he walked up the stones steps and he reached out with one hand to grab hold of the iron ring on the door. Taking a deep breath Sora pulled open the door and entered the manor.

When the door closed behind him he took a moment to get to know his surroundings. The hall smelled musty and old. There was a long corridor directly before Sora and three chests of drawers lined the walls. There were also various pots and urns lying scattered around the floor.

Swallowing his initial fear Sora gripped his flashlight and began walking down the hallway. He stopped when he came to a split in the hallway. He went to the left side of the hallway and tried to the open the door there.

The door was stuck fast and Sora couldn't find a keyhole. Turning back he went to the right section that eventually took a sharp turn to the left. There was a door at the end of this corridor but unlike the various one it was open.

Sora pulled the door open and stepped through into a room with a sunken fireplace and a broken ceiling. Snow was falling gently onto the wooden floor. Sora spotted a ladder that led up to a single balcony with a door.

Glancing around he saw double doors at the other side of the sunken fireplace room. To the left Sora saw a staircase that led to the second floor of the manor. Making up his mind Sora made his way to the double doors, his flashlight swaying as he walked.

"Sora..." a whisper as gentle as the summer breeze caught Sora's attention.

"Who's there?" he demanded as he swung his flashlight beam around the room. When he shone the light on the staircase he saw someone moving around on the upper floor. "Wait!" Sora called as he ran towards the steps. "Riku, is that you?"

He ran up the creaky wooden stairs until he reached the top floor. It was a small room that served as a storage area for various urns, cloths and dyes. There was chest of drawers against the wall as well as white blinds drifting against the wall.

Sora swayed his flashlight but stopped when the beam caught something on the floor by the blinds. He cocked his head as he approached the item lying on the floor. Bending his knees Sora realized that it was a camera but it was unlike any camera that was use nowadays.

It was black in colour and the round lens had strange symbols written around it. The front looked like it could be pushed back and covered over for protection. Sora had only ever seen cameras like that in history books for the 19th Century history classes.

Sora picked the item up and turned it around. He opened it and found some old Type 17 film already loaded. He saw a name written on the back just under the eyepiece for him to look through.

"Camera Obscura?" Sora murmured. Was that the name of the object? He glanced up when he heard the sound of a door opening. "Hello?" Sora called out.

The door on this floor had opened slightly and Sora saw light spill through the crack. He could hear whispers coming from beyond the door. Gripping the Camera Obscura in his hand Sora approached the open door and gently pushed it open.

His heart was hammering within his chest as he brought his flashlight beam into a small corridor. The whispering had gotten louder now but he couldn't see anyone yet so he moved into the corridor and started to walk through the wooden hallway.

He stepped at the end of the hallway and noticed that part of the ceiling had fallen down and blocked off the left side of the chamber. Turning to the right Sora walked down the dimly lit corridor until he reached a broken window and blinds.

Sapphire eyes scanned the small room just beyond the window and Sora could make out a sliding door from the other side. He stopped when he noticed a figure leaning against the wall of the small room. The figure was whispering and his head was on his knees.

Sora could tell the figure was male thanks to the black outfit he was wearing. His hair was golden in colour and stuck up in gravity defying spikes. Sora brought up the Camera Obscura to his eye and aligned the range so that he could take a picture of this sobbing blond.

Sora felt that strange presence around the blond man and the range was highlighted in that blue light. When he snapped the picture the blond man raised his head and stared at Sora with wide blue eyes.

"W-Who are y-you?" the blond stuttered. Sora was shocked mute at the fact this blond could see and talk to him.

"I'm Sora..." the brunet stammered finally. The blond man pressed his back against the wall, desperate to get away from Sora.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" the man screamed as he bolted from the wall and ran out the door.

"Wait!" Sora yelled. "I won't hurt you!"

The man was already out the door on the other side so the brunet quickly turned around and ran back the way he had come. He ran down the steps and across the sunken fireplace chamber until he reached the door.

Just as his hands reached the door knob he felt a cold presence overtake his body. It was the same feeling he got when that bloodied man with the meat cleaver was chasing him.

"You've finally come." A raspy voice spoke behind the petrified brunet.

"You won't leave us again will you daddy?" the voice of a child spoke out.

Sora slowly turned around and his breath caught in his throat when he saw the ghostly images of a woman and a little girl standing near the sunken fireplace. Their long black hair hid their faces from him but the cold presence was suffocating Sora. Bringing up the camera with shaky hands he peered through the lens and noticed that the range was red instead of blue.

"We won't let you go." The woman rasped as she approached Sora.

Moving quickly Sora snapped a shot of the ghost as she came into range. Blue light erupted from the ghost and flew towards the camera. She stumbled backwards as Sora snapped another shot.

Moving quickly he ran to the other side of the room just as the child made an attempt to grab his legs. Sora brought up the camera and snapped another shot of the woman as she held out her arms to grab him. More of the blue energy entered the camera. Sora noticed the range turning bright red with strange symbols adorning it.

When he snapped the shot this time the female ghost screamed and was thrown back with the force of the shot. The ghost fell to the ground with her daughter screaming alongside her. The blue light entered the camera and they faded away into the floor.

Sora was breathing hard and clutching onto the bizarre camera that had somehow saved his life. Silence filled the sunken fireplace chamber once more and Sora moved his cold body towards the door. Grabbing the door knob he ripped the door open and ran out into the entrance hallway.

"Hello?" Sora rasped out when he spotted a pair of black clad legs sticking out from the other end of the corridor. "Can you hear me?"

"Please, please, wake me up...oh god...wake me up..." the man moaned over and over again in agony.

"Hey..." Sora knelt down next to the sobbing blond but he didn't reach out to him.

"Go away!" the blond screamed as he scrambled away towards the other wall. His wide blue eyes were red rimmed from crying.

"I won't hurt you I swear!" Sora stated quickly. He placed his flashlight on the ground near the blond.

"Are you...real?" the man asked softly.

"I'm real. I fell asleep and woke up here." Sora explained quickly.

"Then you're trapped just like me." The man murmured. "If you wake up then find a way to end this for me."

"Tell me your name." Sora asked gently.

"Cloud Strife." The blond answered. Sora smiled when the blond looked at him expectantly.

"I'm Sora Kurosawa. Cloud, what is this place?" Sora asked. The blue eyed blond gulped hard and he pressed his back even further into the wall.

"The Manor of Sleep." Cloud wiped his eyes. "Once this place draws you in you can't leave."

"How did you get here?" Sora asked gently. Cloud glanced at the young boy for a few moments before answering.

"It's all blurry but I remember crossing a street then these bright lights. I think I was hit by something. I woke up in this place. I don't know how long I've been here." Cloud replied.

"I'll help you Cloud." Sora promised. "I'll find a way out." The blond man shook his head from side to side.

"You can leave here when you wake up. I can't wake up." Cloud reached up to his neck and pulled off a necklace he was wearing. "When you wake up give this to Leon. He calls it his Griever Pendant."

"Leon?" Sora questioned when he took the lion headed necklace from Cloud.

"Squall Leonhart...he prefers to be called Leon." For the first time since Sora found him Cloud had a genuine happy expression on his face. "Tell him to help me wake up."

Sora nodded but then stopped when he saw a look of pure terror cross Cloud's beautiful face. His blue eyes were as wide as saucers and he started inching away along the wall. Sora went to grab his arm but Cloud screamed and scampered away along the floor.

Sora gasped when he saw blue and black tattoos forming on his creamy white skin, the tattoos were of snakes and holly. Turning to his right Sora felt his own heart fill with terror when he saw who was standing at the other end of the corridor.

"Go away!" Cloud screamed. "Just leave me alone!"

"I don't want to see any more." The raspy voice of the all figure replied.

"Wake up now Sora! If he touches you it's all over!" Cloud cried.

It was the half naked tattooed man from Sora's previous vision in that abandoned house. The figure was swaying slightly as he walked towards Sora and Cloud. Sora was pinned to the spot; his body was unable to move.

He was gripping the Camera Obscura and the flashlight to hard he thought he'd break the items. The tattooed figure approached Sora steadily while Cloud screamed and took off down the adjoining corridor, all the while yelling at Sora to wake up.

When the tattooed man reached out to grab him Sora yelled and stared running towards the entrance to the manor. He could feel the creature getting closer but he didn't dare look back.

Sora ran faster, pumping his arms for speed but that relentless presence would not leave him or slow down. The brunet was almost to the front door, his heart pumping as furiously as his hands. When he reached the door he felt three icy fingers brushing across his right shoulder.

"I don't want to see any more." That voice followed Sora as he shoved the front doors opened only to be blinded by bright light.

Sora screamed as he sat bolt upright in his sweat soaked bed. His hands were gripping the blankets so hard his knuckles were white. He struggled to get his breathing under control just as a sharp pain spiked across his right shoulder. Wincing in pain Sora turned his head to look over his shoulder and his heart almost stopped when he saw a dark bruise spreading across his skin.

"Sora?" Roxas burst through the door. "Are you ok? I heard you screaming."

"I'm fine…" Sora said in a raspy voice. "I just had a nightmare."

"You've been having a lot of bad dreams lately Sora." Roxas frowned. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine Roxas." The blond didn't look convinced but he nodded his head.

"Ok. We've got class in three hours anyway. I'll be downstairs if you need anything." Roxas left the room.

When Roxas left the room Sora buried his head in his hands. That manor, Cloud, the tattooed guy, it was all too real for it be just be a dream. And then there was that bizarre camera he had found.

Sora turned around to glance at his shoulder again but the bruise was gone. He knew he couldn't have imagined that. He shivered as he recalled the feeling of those icy fingers on his body. It couldn't have been just a dream…it was too real.

"That dream…what's happening to me?" Sora moaned. As he moved to get off the bed his hand brushed over something cold and metallic. "What the…" he stopped when he saw what the object was. "Oh my god…" there on his bed was the Griever Pendant.

By the time Sora was ready Roxas was in the kitchen finishing up his breakfast. Sora walked down the stairs and into the living area of the apartment. The kitchen was to the right and the door next to it led out into the entry hall.

Sora grabbed some toast and juice from the counter and he quickly consumed the food. As he ate Roxas picked up a letter that was lying on the counter.

"Sora…this letter arrived this morning." Roxas said softly. "It's addressed to Riku."

"Riku?" Sora whispered. He was gripping his glass of juice as Roxas handed him the letter.

"Do you want to read it?" the blond asked. "Obviously whoever sent it isn't aware of the accident."

"Yeah…" Sora felt his eyes water slightly. "I'll see who it's from." He opened the letter then sipped his juice as he read.

_Dear Riku,_

_I'm writing to let you know I've found that abandoned house, the one that's supposed to be haunted. The place was a tomb and I couldn't find anything that could be of help. I know you're still investigating local urban legends and folk lore so if you find anything please let me know. You've never met my boyfriend but his condition is getting worse. He can't wake up anymore. I'll be arriving back in Radiant Garden around early November so you can find me at the hospital. I don't have anywhere else to be. I hope to hear from you soon Riku. _

_Sincerely,_

_Squall Leonhart. _

Sora dropped the glass.


	3. The Lost Souls

**Chapter Three**

**The Lost Souls **

"Sora!" Roxas was at his cousin's side instantly when he dropped the glass and it shattered all over the floor. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." Sora stuttered.

"Talk to me Sora." Roxas whispered forcefully. "What is wrong?"

"It's just..." the burnet was unsure if he should tell Roxas the truth but the blond could be damn pushy when he wanted to be.

"Please talk to me Sora." Roxas pleaded. "I'm worried about you."

"I had a bad dream and I saw this guy. He wanted me to find Squall Leonhart." Sora murmured.

"Sora..." Roxas said after a few moments. "Are you sure you didn't come across Squall Leonhart before? Maybe Riku mentioned him."

"I would've remembered a name like Squall Leonhart. Riku never talked about him." Sora replied.

"These dreams...they're getting worse. I hear you screaming at night Sora." Roxas said sadly.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." Sora dropped the letter. "I such a mess..."

"You're gonna get through this Sora." Roxas tried to assure the brunet. When he glanced down to pick up the broken glass he noticed a photo sticking out of the envelope.

"What's that?" Sora asked when Roxas picked up the picture.

"It's a picture of a weird camera." Roxas handed it to Sora. "I wonder what Riku was doing with something like that."

Sora could practically feel all the blood drain from his face as he examined the photo of the Camera Obscura. It was exactly the same one he had found in the Manor of Sleep. Turning the picture over Sora spotted some writing.

It was in Squall's handwriting and he was asking if Riku still had his old antique camera. Sora always knew that Riku collected antiques from different cities, it was a hobby of his but Sora never really paid attention to the collection.

Sora quickly excused himself leaving Roxas to clean up the broken glass and spilt juice. The blond watched with concern as his cousin ran back up the stairs and made his way towards Riku's room.

Sora had never entered that room since the accident buy that letter was more than enough to get him to go inside. Roxas was determined to talk to Sora about these dreams later on but for he'd clean up this mess and get ready for class.

Sora stood outside Riku's bedroom, his warring emotions the only thing he was aware of. His heart was screaming to just turn around and leave. He hadn't been in there since the accident when he had to box up all of Riku's belongings. He had broken down when he got most of them in the cardboard boxes but when Roxas took him from the room Sora hadn't stepped foot inside again.

Glancing down at the photo he made up his mind. Grasping the door knob Sora turned it and slowly opened the door. The room was dimly lit thanks to the sunlight pouring in even though the blinds were drawn.

Sora just stood there and took in the sight of the bedroom that had once been filled with so much happiness and love. There were some shelves were Riku kept all his books of folklore and urban legends. He also had shelves next to his bed were he kept all his antiques. His desk was at the foot of his book and all his notes along with his computer were still there.

Sora approached the desk, his free hand reaching out to run along the smooth wood and over the keyboard. Sora smiled sadly when he recalled a memory of Riku placing him on the desk top and the two of them ended up almost breaking the thing in two.

Afterwards Sora had asked Riku why they didn't use the bed. His silver haired lover had smirked and simply replied he always wanted to have sex with Sora on a desk. The blue eyed man swiped the tears that had fallen.

"Sora, can I help you with something?" that voice that always managed to turn Sora into jelly.

"Yeah Riku I..." blue eyes went towards the bed, expecting to fall on Riku. Nothing was there, no Riku and no hope.

"God, I miss you." Sora whimpered.

He didn't want to spend any more time in this haunted place or he'd go insane. His eyes instead settled on the shelves next to Riku's bed and he spotted the object he was looking for. On the top shelf lay the Camera Obscura.

It was exactly the same as in his dream and when he reached up to take it down from the shelf he saw the name clearly imprinted on the back. Snapping open the back Sora was surprised to see film lying within the camera. When he extracted it he realised that it was musty and old but maybe he could still get a picture out of it if he took it to the Dark Room.

Sora noticed an old book lying on the shelf were the camera had been situated. Picking it up Sora quickly skimmed through the old pages but stopped when he came to a part about the Camera Obscura. The text explained that the camera was created by a man called Xemnas Hinasaki in the early 19th century. He claimed that the camera had the ability to catch images from the Other World. The camera was one of three in existence.

"Hinasaki?" Sora murmured aloud. "Is this Xemnas Riku's ancestor?"

It would explain why Riku had the Camera Obscura. Maybe it was a family heirloom of something. Gripping the object Sora left the room and went back to his own one. After placing the camera on his desk he made his way downstairs and entered the Dark Room from the main hall. Roxas was still in the kitchen but he made no move to stop Sora. The brunet quickly got to work on developing the film.

When it was done Sora pulled it out of the tray of water and he brought it up to eye level. He felt his eyes go wide when he person in the picture became recognizable. It was an image of that man, Cloud Strife, leaning against the wall in that house. It was real. Everything that he had dreamed had been real. Sora fell against the concrete wall as his breathing came fast and quick.

How could the camera receive pictures he had taken from a dream world? Sora knew one thing though. Cloud and Squall were real and they knew about the camera and that dream world.

Sora wondered if Riku knew about the Manor of Sleep and why he never mentioned Squall Leonhart. He left the picture of Cloud beside the tray and left the Dark Room. He still had class to go to and Roxas would want an explanation. He made his way back into the living area and spotted Roxas fixing his books into his bag.

"Are you ready to Sora?" Roxas turned to his cousin.

"Yeah." Sora replied as he grabbed his own bag from the couch.

"Are you sure everything is fine Sora?" Roxas asked gently. He was really worried about the brunet.

"I'm fine Roxas." Sora said but his voice was strained.

"You know I only ask because I'm worried about you." Roxas murmured.

"I'll tell you later Roxas. Please, don't ask me right now." Sora pleaded. The blond nodded then he followed Sora out of the house.

By the time they got back to the apartment night had fallen. The two boys had spent the day together at Roxas' insistence. He didn't want Sora to stay coped up in that apartment and he was pleased when the brunet enjoyed the day out.

They had gotten their assignments done after class and they had the day free. Sora hadn't brought up the letter from Leonhart of the picture of the camera and Roxas didn't bring it up. He didn't want to bring down Sora's mood.

The moonlight spilled across his bedroom and Sora lay on the bed, his eyes getting heavier by the second. Roxas had gone to bed hours ago while the brunet stayed up researching information on the Internet about the Camera Obscura and looking for any information about Cloud Strife.

He couldn't find anything helpful on the camera but he did find a news article about a hit and run victim named Cloud Strife. He fell into a coma soon after arriving at the hospital.

"Riku...will I see you in that place?" Sora murmured as sleep finally invaded him.

* * *

Sora was back in the main hall of the manor, his flashlight in one hand and the camera in the other. The place was deserted and the freezing cold presence of the tattooed man was no longer here.

Sora breathed out his relief then he began walking down the corridor. He turned to the right this time and pulled open the door that led him into a large tatami room. He walked through quickly and reached the other side of the room where a door lay next to a chest of drawers that had various kimonos in them.

There were lamps and cushions lining the wall and two lamps were on either side of the door. Sora pushed the door open and stepped into a hallway.

There was a staircase in front of him heading up to the second floor. The brunet felt his teeth chattering when he felt a cold presence coming from the second floor. Gripping his camera he started to climb the staircase. When he reached the top he saw a hallway and another corridor heading towards the left.

When he turned around he could see two other staircases. One went down and the other went up. Sora turned around when the cold presence became more persistent and he saw a tall ghostly man approaching him with an axe in one hand.

The ghost was wearing white clothing and a tall court hat. Sora gulped as he brought up the camera to take a shot. When the ghost was within the Fatal Frame Sora snapped a shot that sent the ghost screaming backwards.

Sora ran towards the next staircase when the ghost started walking towards him. Frightened blue eyes lined up with the eye piece and he snapped off another two successful shots.

After the second shot the ghost howled in pain and vanished amide blue lights. Once the cold presence vanished Sora ran towards the left corridor but stopped when he came to a door. He stopped at the presence he felt on the door and he noticed what looked like blue mist covering the door.

Sora noticed a small voodoo doll on the door. Ringing up the camera he peered through the lens and noticed that the range sight was glowing blue. When he snapped a picture of the blue mist and the voodoo doll a picture formed in front of the lens.

Sora could see a wall along a staircase and it looked like something on the first floor with a blood splattered wall. Sora knew it couldn't be from the floor he just left, the blue lamp was missing and there had been no blood. Turning around he made his way to the other staircase that would take him down to the first floor.

When he reached the bottom he noticed that it was a supply area for carpenters. Various tools and boxes were scattered everywhere along with clothing and blood stains.

Sora swallowed as he followed the blood trail along the floor until he came to a large, dried pool lying next to a small door. Sora felt the presence around the blood pool and he brought up his camera to take a shot. When he snapped a shot he saw an image of the voodoo vanishing within blue flames.

"Is the door open now?" Sora wondered aloud. He turned to the small door next to the blood stain but stopped when he noticed that it had padlock on it. The padlock had a decoration of a rose on it. "Who the hell came up with this?"

Sora made his way back up the staircase and towards the door in the upper hallway. When he got there the presence was gone along with the blue mist and the voodoo doll. Sora pushed open the door only to step into a dimly lit corridor that looked familiar. As he walked to the end of the corridor he stepped into a square hallway and he spotted rubble lying nearby.

"I'm on the other side." He breathed. He was on the other side of the room where he first saw Cloud. He saw the doorway into the small room to his right.

"Cloud!" Sora called out, hoping the blond was in there. He sighed in relief when he spotted Cloud leaning against the farthest wall.

"You're asleep again Sora." Cloud whispered. "It'll get harder to wake up."

"Cloud," Sora knelt down in front of the man. "I got a letter from Squall this morning." Bright blue eyes caught his own sapphire ones.

"He sent a letter to my...fiancé." Sora choked out the last word. "Riku Hinasaki."

"I don't know that name." Cloud muttered. Sora looked around when he felt a cold presence wash over his skin. "Cloud, we have to move now."

"It doesn't matter. He always finds me." Cloud raised his head to stare at Sora.

"Cloud, please get up." Sora begged as the icy feeling spread across his skin.

"Run Sora...you can still get out." Cloud got to his feet. "I'll lead them away. They love clinging to living flesh."

"What are you talking about?" Sora questioned.

He got his answer when Cloud looked towards the right wall and Sora followed his gaze. Black smoke drifted in through the thick wall and floated towards Cloud and Sora. The smoke took on the shape of three human like creatures with yellow eyes.

The smoke ghosts were hissing and whispering as they floated around the small room. Sora raised his camera while Cloud yelled at him to leave the room. He managed to snap off a few shots and he damaged at least one of the three ghosts. They were fast and Sora wasted two snapshots.

"The Wraiths linger around living flesh. Get out of here Sora." Cloud warned. "Leave before the tattooed man comes."

"You're coming too." Sora cried as he snapped off another shot and drove the ghosts back.

"Please, tell Leon to wake me up." Cloud muttered then he took off running out of the room with the Wraith ghosts following him.

"Cloud!" Sora screamed but the blond was gone. One of the Wraith ghosts didn't follow him and it turned its ghastly yellow glare on Sora.

The brunet ran towards the wall and raised the camera to his eye. The ghost was still floating around the centre of the room and glaring at Sora. He snapped off another shot and the ghost screamed in pain.

Sora made his way to the door that led out into the square hallway and he snapped off another shot to finish off the ghost. The Wraith screamed as it sank into the floor and Sora lowered his camera when the creature vanished completely, leaving behind a small item on the floor.

Bending down Sora picked up the small metal object and he realized that it was a small bronze key with a design. It was a rose design on a round top. Sora pocketed the key and ran out of the room and back into the square hallway. He ran through the door and out into the staircase hallway. Hopefully this key would still be able to open that small door on the first floor by the blood pool.

"Cloud!" Sora called out, hoping to see or hear the blond man nearby. There was nothing but silence.

The brunet boy took off down the flight of stairs towards the bloodied wall and locked door. He drew out the Rose Key and inserted it into the lock. He smiled when it turned easily and he pushed the small door open.

He entered into a corridor that stank of rotting meat and old must. Sora almost gagged on the smell then he stopped when he saw what looked like human stains on the wall. It looked like the stains had been burned into the wall and Sora gulped as he felt that cold presence nearby.

After taking a picture of the wall Sora made his way around the square shaped hallway and stopped when he came to a door. The small door was locked and he couldn't see a keyhole.

Cursing under his breath Sora walked on down the hallway and stopped at a second door which was unlocked. Taking a breath Sora shoved opened the door and stopped to stare in shock at his new location. It was the graveyard where he had seen Riku in that vision.

"Riku?" Sora whispered as he stood in the falling snow. "Are you in there?" he approached the door on the other side of the graveyard. "Will I see you again Riku?" When his hand touched the door knob Sora felt a terrible pain flare across his back and he woke up.

* * *

Sora yelled as he woke up, his sheets soaked in sweat again. He was breathing hard and his heart was pounding. Sora bit back a cry of pain when the bruise began to spread across his back and over his right arm.

Once the pain died down Sora swallowed thickly and willed the pain to fade before moving. Once he got off the bed Sora approached his desk and inspected the Camera Obscura. There was some musty film inside.

"Will I find you in that place Riku?" Sora muttered. "Can I see you one more time?"

Grabbing some fresh clothes Sora went downstairs to get a shower and to prepare for another day of classes.

The night would come far too fast for him.


	4. The Griever Pendent

**Chapter Four**

**The Griever Pendent**

**_Radiant Garden University _**

Sora kept his head low as he scribbled down various notes during his biology lecture. While Professor Vexen remained an excellent teacher Sora couldn't stop thinking about that manor, Cloud and Riku. The dreams and the bruise which was spreading across his skin had to be connected in some way.

Sora felt his right shoulder throb in pain and he touched the skin carefully. It had been too hot to wear a jacket so he settled for a tank top instead. He had been prepared for people asking him about the bruise but no one made a comment. During his lunch break Sora had gone to the washroom only to discover the bruise had faded again.

The rain had stopped amazingly and for that Sora was grateful. Every time he heard the rain he remembered that night. The rain had been pelting heavily against the glass and Riku was smiling as he rubbed his fingers across Sora's hair and neck.

The brunet had been so happy, just sitting in a car with Riku and listening to the rain falling. Sora shook his head to clear away the memories of burning rubber, screeching metal and blood staining the clear rain water. Roxas gently nudged his silent cousin when Sora began to stare off during the lecture.

"Sora, the class is over." Roxas said as he grabbed his bag.

"What?" blue eyes were no longer glazed over and instead a look of confusion marred his features.

"We're due in folklore studies next." Roxas motioned for Sora to follow him out of the classroom.

"Right...sorry." Sora muttered as he followed his blond cousin to the next lesson. The brunet was deep in thought, his fingers wrapping around the Griever Pendent in his pocket as he thought about Cloud and Riku.

"I'm so sorry!" a voice called out when Sora banged into someone. He recognized that voice instantly.

"Kairi?" he gasped when his eyes fell on his red headed friend.

"Sora?" her eyes lit up with glee when she saw her friend from Destiny Island. "Roxas!"

"Hello Kairi." Roxas grinned as he hugged the girl.

"What are you doing here?" Sora smiled when he hugged her.

"It was supposed to be a surprise." She sighed as she walked with the cousins. "Namine and I moved to Radiant Garden. We were going to surprise you guys."

"So your dad got that job?" Sora smiled.

"Yeah and he wanted to see you again. How are you holding up?" Kairi asked gently.

"I'm ok. I'm getting pretty good at photography." Sora said and he looked away when he felt a burning sensation in his eyes.

"He's being modest." Roxas spoke up. The blond sighed when he saw the sadness drifting into Sora's eyes. The sadness would never leave the once bubbly brunet. "You go on Sora and save me a seat."

"Ok Rox. It's been great seeing you again Kai." Sora hugged her again then took off for the classroom.

"How is he Roxas?" Kairi asked when Sora was out of earshot.

"He's been having a lot of nightmares lately. I'm really worried about him Kairi." Roxas replied and the red head sighed deeply.

"I wish Riku were here." She whimpered sadly. "He always knew how to make Sora really smile. That smile he gave me just now...it's just a fake."

"I know what you mean. I can't remember the last time I saw Sora truly smile." Roxas rubbed his head in thought.

"I wish he'd understand that it was never his fault. It was a terrible accident." Kairi looked close to tears.

"It's only been two months...feels like a lifetime somehow." Kairi groaned.

"I better get to class. We'll see you later ok." Roxas smiled at his friend.

Kairi waved goodbye to the blond as she turned and ran off down the marble corridor. Roxas hoped that this would help to improve Sora's mood and alleviate his grief. He Riku and Kairi had been inseparable friends when they lived on Destiny Island and along with Namine and Roxas they were the well known trouble makers. It had been no great shock when Sora and Riku came out during the Prom. Of course the idiot who insulted them got a full punch bowl dumped on his head by Tidus and Selphie.

Roxas had still been living in Destiny Island when he got the call from Sora then he in turn told everyone else. The day the group found out Riku was dead it seemed the sunlight left the island. Selphie, Kairi and Namine cried none stop for hours.

Tidus, Wakka and Roxas were too shocked to do anything but when reality sank in even more tears were shed without shame. Sora had come back to Destiny Island for the funeral then he moved to Radiant Garden a few weeks later.

Sora had blamed himself for Riku's death and people had tried to convince him that it was a horrible accident. Roxas had moved away with Sora to keep an eye on him and to somehow help him move on. The blond had moved back from Twilight Town after an incident that took the life of someone close to him. Even now he choked as he thought about his dead best friend. He never told Sora about it...it happened two years ago. Roxas was snapped out of his thoughts when he reached his classroom.

The brunet was sitting in his usual spot and he waved Roxas over to the seat next to his own one. Once everyone was seated they waited for the lecturer to arrive and begin the class.

For once Sora wanted his professor to hurry up and get to the class already so he could ask him about urban legends and folklore concerning the Manor of Sleep. After ten minutes Professor Xaldin still didn't make an appearance and Sora and Roxas began to get concerned.

"Can I have your attention please?" it was the headmaster of the school. "Professor Xaldin has taken ill and you will receive a substitute for the lessons."

"Great." Sora muttered dejectedly.

"What's wrong?" Roxas whispered to his bitter looking cousin.

"Nothing." Sora said quickly. "I wonder who's taking the class."

"He'll be arriving shortly so I suggest treating him with the courtesy expected of you." With that the headmaster left.

The class talked in hushed whispers for a few more minutes while Sora skimmed over the notes he had made on the Manor of Sleep and the slowly spreading bruise on his shoulder. When the door opened again Sora looked up to see a tall brunet entering the room. He was wearing a short sleeved jacket, black leather pants, black boots and a white t-shirt. He had a scar between his stormy blue eyes and a scowl was fixed on his lips. Sora got the immediate impression that this wasn't a friendly guy.

"Shut up right now." The guy snapped and all talking and whispering ceased. "I'm Squall Leonhart..."

The moment that name reached Sora's ears everything else just vanished. Squall Leonhart was standing in the classroom, teaching them about folklore and urban legends. It had to be the same man.

The name alone wasn't exactly common and this guy was a teacher on folklore. It just had to be the same man. Roxas was having the same thoughts but instead of hope he felt plain fear. So there was more to Sora's nightmares than he believed and Squall Leonhart was the proof.

"Sora..." Roxas warned but when the class was over the smaller brunet was already making his way towards Leonhart.

"It's him Roxas, it has to be." Sora said quickly.

"Think about this!" Roxas cried quietly.

"I have and he can help me with these dreams." Sora walked towards the scarred brunet. "Mr. Leonhart?"

"What is it?" Squall asked tersely. Sora decided to just come right to the point. The quicker he got help the sooner he could help Cloud and find Riku.

"What can you tell me about the Camera Obscura and the Manor of Sleep?"

Sora immediately knew he had the right man when all the colour left Squall's face and his eyes held fear and anger in their stormy depths. His had fisted his hands then he turned his eyes on Sora who was still waking expectantly for an answer.

Roxas stood to the side and tensed up when he saw Leonhart's reaction to Sora's questions. The blond wouldn't hesitate to intervene should things start to get out of hand. Finally the teacher regained his composure and crossed his arms over his chest. It was then Sora saw the Griever Pendant hanging around Squall's neck.

"What do you want?" he snapped irritably.

"I want to know about the Camera Obscura. You sent a letter to Riku about it." Sora bit his lip as he talked about his dead fiancé.

"Riku talked to you about this?" Squall whispered harshly.

"No he didn't. I read the letter." Sora admitted. Looking Squall in the eyes he told the older man the truth.

"Riku's dead?" Squall leaned against the desk when Sora was finished. "So you must be Sora...his fiancé right?"

"That's right." Sora murmured. He saw the briefest of smiles touch Squall's lips then it vanished leaving behind only that scowl he wore.

"I know I shouldn't have read the letter but I did it because of the dreams I've been having." Sora said quickly.

"What dreams?" Squall asked sharply. He still couldn't get his head round the fact that Riku has been dead for two months.

"I see the Manor of Sleep and this tattooed man." Sora explained. Roxas kept his eyes fixed on Squall while Sora spoke. "Then I see Riku and I hear this weird lullaby."

"How long have you been having these dreams?" Squall asked.

"A couple of nights I suppose. In one of the dreams the tattooed guy touched me." Sora mumbled. He shivered as he recalled the icy fingers on his body.

"In your dreams do you have the Camera Obscura?" Squall wondered aloud.

"I found it in the manor." Sora replied. "It can hurt the ghosts."

"Listen to me Sora," Squall grasped the boy's arm. "That camera is dangerous. The fact that you can use it tells me you have some level of physic power."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Roxas yelled. The scarred man was talking utter nonsense.

"The Camera Obscura is the basis of a lot of urban legends revolving around Hollow Bastion." Leon stated to explain but Roxas grabbed Sora and pulled him away.

"This is crazy!" Roxas seethed. "Come on Sora."

"Roxas...I have to know." Sora pleaded but the blond shook his head.

"It's just nightmares Sora." Roxas stated firmly but Sora shook him off.

"Squall...I met someone else in the manor." Sora reached into his pocket and withdrew the pendent Cloud had given him.

"Where did you get that?" Squall whispered when he saw the lion shaped necklace.

"Cloud wants you to help him wake up. He doesn't want you to give up on him Leon." Sora said gently.

The taller brunet took the necklace from Sora, his stormy eyes fixed on the gleaming silver chain he had given to Cloud three years ago. He had had his own necklace copied and he had given the copy to Cloud as a birthday gift.

The blond had never taken it off. Squall bit back a moan of pain. He didn't want to give up...he couldn't. He and Riku had been researching ways on waking Cloud up. But Riku was gone now and his fiancé was suffering the same thing. Sora would be just like Cloud soon...locked away in his dreams with no escape.

"I'll help you." Squall murmured after a few minutes.

"Sora, this is crazy." Roxas sounded scared.

"You don't have to believe me Roxas but look at the proof." Sora replied quickly. "Please, trust me on this Roxas."

"We'll go someplace to talk. I'll tell you about the Manor of Sleep first." Squall motioned for them to follow him out the door. "Riku was trying to help me find a cure for Cloud."

"Riku knew about the tattoos and the dreams?" Sora murmured.

"I'll take you to see Cloud. You'll see what the manor does to you...because you can't let go of someone you love."

* * *

**Note-**sorry this chapter is short and updates will be faster. I got the new Harry Potter book and I couldn't put it down. Anyway expect a new chapter very soon. 


	5. The Silent Angel

**Chapter Five**

**The Silent Angel**

The ride to Radiant Garden Memorial Hospital was silent and full of tension between the trio. Sora kept fingering his crown necklace along with the engagement ring while Roxas scowled at the scarred brunet driving the car. The blond boy didn't trust Squall and he was greatly worried for Sora.

His cousin believed Squall about the Camera Obscura and the Griever Pendent that Cloud had been wearing. Roxas couldn't deny those facts but there was something within him that wanted to deny the camera's very existence. He hated the thing but he didn't know why. Not wanting to upset Sora any more Roxas remained quiet about it and the car journey was made it relative silence.

Squall Leonhart was a rational man. He was known for his stoic nature and stand offish attitude but there was only one person who could break through that barricade without even trying. Squall had first met Cloud Strife when the brunet had been visiting his father in Radiant Garden. Squall lived in Traverse Town but he was hoping to get a teaching post in Radiant Garden. While drinking a coffee in the local cafe a spiky haired blond had quite literally fallen into his lap.

Squall had stared into the most enchanting pair of blue eyes he had ever seen and he had seen quite a few mesmerizing eyes. After babbling for a few minutes about tripping over his own feet Squall asked him his name. The brunet had never met anyone like Cloud Strife before and after buying the blond a coffee they began to talk. They talked about anything they could think up and Squall realized that he had never held this long a conversation before in his life.

His best friend and sometimes rival Seifer Almasy had always complained that Squall never talked enough and that he was the human iceberg. Squall wasn't emotionless; he just had a hard time opening up to people. Before he met Cloud Seifer and his boyfriend Zell Dincht were the only people Squall was really nice to. After the coffee and the chat Squall and Cloud walked to the Radiant Garden University together. The blond revealed that he was a teacher there and he was an expert of local urban legends. After the interview Squall got the teaching post.

The weeks passed and soon Cloud and Squall became inseparable friends. They would meet for coffee then head to the University for their classes. Afterwards they would spend the day either grading papers or go out for the evening. After a few months Squall realized that he had fallen head over heels for the beautiful blond with the mesmerizing blue eyes. Cloud had come out to Squall a while ago so the brunet knew Cloud preferred men over women.

Cloud didn't exactly have a stable relationship in his life although he admitted to being fuck buddies with Sephiroth. The whole affair was unhealthy and Cloud ended up before it destroyed both of them. Squall had been so nervous the night he decided to ask Cloud out on a date. It was a Saturday night and they usually spent the night watching movies at Squall's place. When Cloud snuggled up against the scarred brunet Squall decided to make his move.

"It's about damn time." Cloud giggled when Squall stammered out he wanted to date him.

"You got me worked up for nothing?" Squall had asked a little sharply.

"You always were a little slow on the uptake." Cloud laughed then he kissed Squall before the man could argue any more.

This brought Squall to the present day. He and Cloud would be celebrating their fifth year anniversary but now his blond lover was wasting away, trapped in his dreams. The dreams began soon after Cloud's cousin Zack was killed in an accident.

Zack and Cloud were like brothers and his death hit the blond really hard. The hit and run left Cloud in a coma and trapped in his recurring nightmares. This was the reason Squall had sought out Riku Hinasaki in the first place.

Around the school it was a well known fact that Riku collected antiques and he preferred collecting old cameras because of his profession as photographer. When the silver haired man presented an article on the Camera Obscura for a report Squall wanted to talk to him.

As an expert on folklore the brunet was well acquainted with the tales of the camera that could take pictures of the Other World but the camera would only work if the operator had something called the Spirit Power. From the historical data he collected Squall learned that most people committed suicide because they couldn't handle the power of the camera.

He often found it hard to swallow, these tales of ghosts, dreams, a camera that could kill and people with a Sixth Sense. Then he would remember something Cloud had told him once. When he was a child Cloud was convinced that he could see people others couldn't see. His parents thought he had an imaginary friend but when he began describing how they died Cloud had been forced into therapy and put on medication.

Squall never brought it up and Cloud didn't talk about it after that one time he did speak about his troubled past. Cloud had mentioned something called the Camera Obscura and Squall gathered as much research as he could when Cloud became trapped in the Manor of Sleep after the accident. Soon he pulled up outside the Radiant Garden Memorial Hospital and he motioned for Sora and Roxas to follow him into the white building.

"Hello Squall." A pretty brunette with golden highlights in her hair greeted the scarred man.

"How is he Rinoa?" he asked the nurse.

"Still no change." Her eyes held deep sadness for Squall and a hint of something else. "How have you been anyway? We haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been working." Squall replied stonily.

"Do you want to see him?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah...thanks." he nodded his head then motioned for Roxas and Sora to follow him through the reception area.

They walked down a long white corridor that had that unmistakable clean smell that all hospitals possessed. Sora hatred them with a passion. He swallowed down his fear and pain as he followed behind Squall while Roxas grabbed Sora's hand for reassurance. So many bad memories assaulted the smaller brunet and he fought the urge to turn and ran out of the building. Squall led them through another corridor until they reached a large sterile white room.

Green curtains hung around various beds lining the white walls and Squall stopped when he reached the bed at the end of the right row. He sat down on the chair next to the bed and reached out to grasp the pale hand lying on the blanket.

Sora gasped when he saw the figure lying on the bed. Blond hair stood up in all directions. Pale skin glowed softly in the light. Soft pink lips were slightly parted as he breathed in and out. Squall was gazing at the blond with open tenderness but when he glanced back to Sora he was scowling again.

"Riku was helping me find information on the Camera Obscura." Squall explained.

"He had the camera in his collection." Sora said softly. "I found it in his room."

"We researched the folklore on the town when it was known as Hollow Bastion. There was one urban legend about dreams, a manor and the Sleeping Priest." Leon told the cousins.

"How long has Cloud been asleep?" Roxas muttered.

"Days now." Leon answered. "He suffered nightmares before the accident though."

"He dreamt about that manor." Sora finished.

"One time he woke up screaming about a tattooed man." Leon bit back a sob. "I didn't want to believe what was happening."

"It's happening to me now." Sora murmured. Roxas looked like he wanted to say something but he kept his mouth shut.

"I'll gather what information I have. There are some interviews on tape when Cloud came here because of the nightmares." Squall squeezed the blond's hand.

"Here's our address if you want to come over." Sora pulled out some paper from his bag and jotted down the address.

"Thanks. I'll give you a call when I have the tapes." Squall sighed then he went back to staring at the sleeping blond. "But I can get one of the tapes now."

"Where is it?" Roxas questioned.

"Give me a minute." Squall got up and walked off out of the room.

"This isn't a good idea Sora." Roxas muttered.

"But that's the guy I saw in my dreams." Sora pointed out as he glanced back at Cloud. "We have to help him."

"I don't see how." Roxas replied with agitation just as Squall returned holding a tape.

"This is Cloud's first interview. I'll look for the others later." The scarred brunet pressed the tape into Sora's hand then resumed sitting beside the blond.

"We'll wake him up Squall. I talked to him a few times." Sora said gently. "He won't give up."

"That's Cloud for you...so damn stubborn." Squall said with affection. He turned his stormy eyes on Sora. "Just call me Leon. And I'm sorry about Riku."

"Thanks." Sora whispered then with a final smile he vanished from the room with Roxas at his heels.

"We're gonna wake you up baby. Please, just hold on a little longer." Leon whispered as he brushed his lips over Cloud's cold ones.

* * *

By the time Sora and Roxas made it back to the apartment it was dark but Sora was determined to listen to the tape Leon had given him. His own tape recorder was broken so he asked Roxas if he could enter his room to listen to the tape.

The blond just shrugged but allowed Sora access to his room while he went to get something to eat from the kitchen. The brunet didn't ask Roxas if he wanted to listen to the tape with him. The whole scenarios was creeping Roxas out and Sora couldn't blame him.

Quickly running up the stairs Sora came to the first door on his right and he shoved it open to reveal Roxas' neat bedroom. His bed was pressed up against the left wall and there was a desk underneath the window.

The curtains were drawn and the laptop was switched off. A cabinet leaned against the right wall along with a dresser and some shelves with valuable collectibles. Sora spotted the tape recorder sitting on the desk. Seating himself on the chair he popped the tape into the machine and hit the play button. After a few moments a voice spoke up.

_It was a manor. It was snowing and I could hear this lullaby being sung by children. I couldn't tell from where it was coming from within the manor. Then there was the tattooed man...and Zack. I know he died a few weeks ago but I saw him in that place. I just wanna talk to him again. I know that if I go into that place I'll see him again but I'm so fucking scared. And that tattooed man...he's after me, I know it. He keeps calling out a name...he keeps calling for Demyx. _

The tape ended and Sora leaned back against the chair. It wasn't much but he now had a connection to the manor and Riku. Cloud had been close to Zack, they were like brothers. It was as if the manor drew you in with images of your dead loved ones.

Was Cloud still searching for Zack? Was Riku in the Manor of Sleep as well, waiting for Sora to find him? And who was this Demyx? Sora retrieved the tape but stopped when he saw a framed picture lying face down on the desk.

Sora reached out and lifted the picture; his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the framed photo and who it was. There was Roxas and he was smiling the brightest smile Sora had ever seen. To his right was a tall lanky man with red hair that appeared to be tied back revealing a grinning face and mischievous green eyes.

He had red crescent shaped scars beneath his eyes and he was sticking out his tongue to the camera. The man on Roxas' left had gravity defying crimson locks and the most vibrant pair of green eyes Sora had ever seen.

He had tear drop shaped black tattoos beneath his eyes and that smirk of his promised trouble. He had one arm wrapped around Roxas' waist while Roxas had an arm slung around the man's neck. Sora frowned. Roxas had never mentioned anything about these red headed twins.

He looked so happy in that photo and it was then Sora realized that he had never seen Roxas smile like that since he moved in. Not wanting to intrude anymore on Roxas' privacy Sora crept out of the room and into his own one. As he drifted off to sleep he made a mental note to ask Roxas about the red heads tomorrow.


	6. The Sleeping Manor

**Chapter Six**

**The Sleeping Manor**

When Sora opened his eyes he blinked a few times to gain his bearings then he switched on the flashlight he was holding in one hand. As the snow fell gently around the gravestones Sora soon remembered where he had seen this place before and excitement welled up in his heart.

In his vision he had seen Riku walking through this place and out past the door on the other side of the graveyard. He was getting closer to seeing Riku again. Sora gripped his flashlight as he stepped out into the snowy yard and made his way to the wooden door on the other side.

Taking a deep breath Sora shoved the door open and entered a large chamber with a long corridor connecting it to another doorway a few feet away. There were large golden bells hanging from the ceiling and Sora noticed that the corridor also split in two other directions, one right and left. Walking carefully through the main hall of the manor and into the corridor Sora kept his fingers on the Camera Obscura as he walked towards the door at the end of the hallway.

When he came to the connecting corridors he felt the presence of something nearby. Turning to the let he shone his flashlight on a wooden door just as a pale ghostly figure vanished through the door. Gulping down his initial fear Sora slowly approached the door. The brass knob was cold to the touch and Sora quickly opened it so that a small square room was revealed. Taking in the sight of the room his eyes fell on an old projector that was currently playing some old film.

Sora watched the movie that was playing in stunned silence. He saw a man lying on a stone floor with nothing but a thin sheet to cover his lithe body. His arms and legs were spread eagled on the floor and he was struggling against the bonds that were tied around his wrists and ankles.

Four girls were kneeling on either side of his body and they held up stakes and a small red hammer in their hands. They were singing that lullaby then, after placing the stakes over the man's hands and feet, they drove the hammers onto the tips.

The film ended just as the man opened his mouth to scream and Sora fought back the bile rising in his throat. How could children be forced to do that to another human being? Glancing around the room he saw some blue film lying on a table near the projector. Stuffing it into his pocket Sora exited the room and went back into the corridor. He saw a pool of blood staining the corridor that led to the right so the brunet quickly made his way to the door that would hopefully take him to Riku.

Once there he yanked the wooden door open and entered a small storage room. To his right were steps that turned into a corridor while in front of him there was a chest overflowing with kimonos and various other articles of clothing. A chest of drawers was sitting just below a flight of stairs and Sora noticed that thick strands of black hair were attached to a red kimono. The stairs led up to the second floor and Sora felt that telltale warning that something was up there, waiting for him.

Bringing his flashlight around he walked towards the corridor that made a sharp turn to the left and he spotted another wooden door with a brass knob. He couldn't feel a presence against the door ad he breathed his relief. Grasping the flashlight Sora pulled the door open and stepped out into the rectangular garden. He felt his heart rate increase as he took in the familiar sight of the tree and the two adjoining corridors with the double door at the other side of the garden.

"Riku..." Sora breathed out the name. A figure walked steadily towards the double doors, his silver hair glowing and looking as soft as snow.

"Play with us..." a voice belonging to a young girl asked. Sora brought up the camera when a ghostly figure of a girl came out of the left hand corridor.

"Riku! Come back!" Sora cried when his fiancé disappeared through the door.

"We want you to play with us." The girl smiled as she held up her stake and hammer.

"Stay away from me!" Sora yelled as he ran towards the double doors.

"The Seeping Priest wishes for you to stay." The girl replied as she drew nearer. "Come and play with is."

Sora backed away against the wall then brought up his camera just as the girl raised her stake and hammer. When he took a shot the girl screamed and fell backwards while blue energy got sucked into the camera lens.

Sora ran for it when she floated towards him at an alarming speed, her face twisted into a horrific parody of a smile. Sora used the blue film he found to snap off another shot and the girl yelled out when the light blinded her. Sora saw his chance and he snapped off two shots that resulted in the ghost's disappearance.

The threatening presence fled him immediately but there was another sensation coursing across his skin. He could sense it coming from the tree in the centre of the garden and he brought up his camera to take a shot.

The capture circle had turned blue when Sora pointed the camera towards the tree with numerous little red paper dolls hanging on the many branches. When he took the picture an image appeared before him of a group of men standing around the tree.

"Subdue the priest." A terrified voice called out behind Sora. Turning around he brought up his camera but the feeling that washed over his skin wasn't threatening. "He must sleep."

"Who are you?" Sora kept the camera up as the young girl came into sight.

"He needs you to end this." The girl said with terrible sadness and pain.

"I don't understand." Sora lowered the camera as the girl began to fade. "I want to find Riku."

"Use the lullaby and subdue the priest." The girl answered then she vanished.

"What the hell was that all about?" Sora muttered. He got his answer when a song began to play from nearby.

"The lullaby..." Sora frowned. He followed the song into the corridor that led to the right of the garden.

"Use the song..." the voice drifted across his mind as he walked down the corridor.

He stopped when he came to a door but it was stuck fast by some kind of force. Sora glanced down at the other door which was a small red door just big enough for a child to fit through. Sora got down on his knees and shoved the door open to enter into a bright red room that was lit only be candle light.

Red paper dolls were pinned to the wall and there was an altar lying next to the wall. Candles were lit on the altar and there was a small shrine set up. Sora saw something glow in the candlelight on the altar. When he reached the shrine he saw that it was a small bronze key.

He quickly pocketed the key and left the room before anymore ghosts with stakes and hammers decided to turn up. He ran back down the corridor and into the snowy garden where the lullaby was now being sung softly. The brunet made his way to the double doors but stopped when he felt that familiar presence emanating from the door. Bringing up the Camera Obscura he snapped a shot of the door and a picture began to form of four people standing by the door.

"The door must not be opened. The Chamber of Thorns must never be opened." Sora felt his blood run cold as that terrible feeling of foreboding washed over him. As he turned around Sora saw a man dressed in a white robe covered in blood and holding a meat cleaver in one hand.

"The Tattooed Priest must never awaken." The man snarled as he brought the cleaver down to Sora's head.

"AHHHH!!" Sora screamed as he jolted upright in bed.

"Sora!" Roxas ripped open the door and ran to his distraught cousin. "What happened?"

"He was going to kill me!" Sora wailed as he clung onto Roxas.

"You had a nightmare." Roxas comforted the brunet.

"I saw him Roxas..." Sora pulled away and wiped his eyes. "I saw Riku."

"Sora..." Roxas didn't want to start another argument so he simply nodded and stroked Sora's sweaty back.

"Thanks Rox...I don't know what I'd do without you here." Sora mumbled sadly.

"You're welcome Sora." The blond replied. "It's almost time for breakfast anyway."

"I could do with some breakfast." Sora sighed as he wiped the sleep and tears from his blurry eyes.

"Roxas...when I was in your room I saw a picture of you and two guys with red hair and green eyes. Who are they?" Sora asked gently.

"Oh...you mean Reno and Axel Sinclair?" the blond got a look in his eyes, a deep, haunted look that shook Sora to the core.

"I'm sorry if I intruded on anything private." Sora began to apologize.

"It's ok. Reno and Axel were my friends. We haven't spoken in a while though." Roxas trailed off as confusion marred his features. He looked as if he were trying to remember something.

"Let's go get breakfast." Sora didn't want to upset his cousin anymore.

"Sure...I'll meet you downstairs." The blond boy left the room and a confused and scared brunet behind.

The day progressed without much interference although Leon called to inform Sora that he found the tapes and he would send them as soon as he could. While Sora kept trying to uncover more information concerning the Camera Obscura and the new pictures he had taken Roxas sat in his room thinking.

He kept glancing towards the framed photo of himself and the Sinclair twins but all he could come up with was a blank spot in his mind. It was true that he hadn't heard from them in a while but whenever he tried to recall any memories of them all he could come up with was a black slate.

He knew who they were. Reno was the devious twin who hid his uncanny intelligence behind an idiotic attitude. Roxas remembered something else about him. At an early age Reno had been involved in an accident that left him with a permanent crippled leg. He always had a wear a bandage on his left knee because of it. This made Axel all the more protective of him. Roxas felt his heart flutter and his body go warm at the thought of Axel Sinclair.

He was wild and uncontrollable, just like the fire he loved so much. He would just come out and say whatever was on his mind even if he had to suffer consequences for his actions. He was also fiercely loyal to his twin and Roxas remembered that he couldn't have asked for a better friend.

The blank spot in his memory was beginning to scare him now and he tore his gaze away from the happy picture. He hoped Sora wouldn't bring the matter up anymore. Shivering Roxas left his bedroom and got ready for class.

The day passed by quickly and Sora had left to talk to Leon about the tapes he had found. It was barely ten in the evening but Roxas was too tired to do anything but sleep. He had been struggling with his assignment since he got home but all he could think about were Axel and Reno. The blond gave up when his eyes began to feel like lead weights. His assignment lay forgotten on his desk and he fell onto the bed, exhaustion dragging him into the Sandman's embrace.

* * *

**Note-**Next up we are going to enter Roxas' dream and everything will soon be explained concerning the twins.


	7. The Forgotten Flame

**Chapter Seven**

**The Forgotten Dream**

When Roxas opened his eyes he felt his heart clench in utter fear and a bold feeling of dread settled into his churning stomach. The cool night air gently caressed his face; the landscape was bathed in moonlight so that the village below Roxas was illuminated.

He was standing on a hill top with a shrine that looked like six large points of black rock and an altar with rope tied around it. The village was situated deep within the woods and Roxas felt a name escape his lips as he took in the sight of the silent village below.

"All God's Village." He knew this place...he hated this place...this was where he had come with the twins.

"I'm sorry..." a voice sobbed to his right.

"Who's there?" Roxas called out as his heart hammered his ribcage painfully.

"I'm sorry Axel...I'm so sorry." A man with long red head tied back into a ponytail limped down the pathway leading into the village.

"R-Reno?" Roxas stammered.

"I promised we'd be together forever." The red head whimpered as he walked on down the pathway.

"Reno...don't leave!" Roxas shouted but the red head paid no attention to the blond.

Reno vanished down the small hill and into All God's Village, leaving Roxas feeling cold and so alone on the silent hill top. He was fighting an internal struggle as he silently wished to wake up and escape this nightmare. Images he had thought he had buried forever were beginning to emerge from the deeper recesses of his memory. Somehow he knew he had been here before and he had lost something precious because of it.

"Please, I don't wanna remember." Roxas muttered.

"He's this way." Roxas jumped when a female voice spoke to him. "You'll find him in the village."

"Who are you?" the blond spotted a little girl wearing a white kimono standing on the pathway into the village.

"You lost him but he is still here." The girl replied. "Follow the twin and you'll find what you seek." She vanished before Roxas could question her.

The blond stood stunned on the hill top and he wrapped his bare arms around his shaking body. He didn't want to go into the village but he honestly had no choice in the matter. He couldn't help but silently pray to whatever deity was listening to help him wake up.

He felt so cold inside and so scared of what he would find once he entered the silent village. Taking a deep breath he gathered up whatever courage he had left and walked along the pathway. He was guided by the lights of the lanterns that lined the path.

Roxas kept his eyes fixed in front of him; his body was tense and ready for a fight while his blood continued to freeze within him. He swallowed thickly as he passed a small stone statue of twin deities. Just looking at that statue made him feel sick and angry but he continued onwards until he reached the entrance to the village. He stopped when he saw something glinting in the moonlight. The blond knelt down to inspect what it was. He saw a flashlight and next to that was a bizarre looking camera.

Roxas felt his eyes widen when he recognized the object lying on the ground. It was the Camera Obscura, exactly like the one Riku kept in his room. Roxas felt his fingers trembling as he picked up the camera and turned it over in his hand to inspect it. The name was written on the back and there was film already loaded into the camera. Gripping his flashlight Roxas stood up and he shone the beam of light across the flat ground in front of him.

As he walked across the pathway Roxas felt a strange tingly feeling grow across his skin and it was coming from the house to his left. The house was old and stank of mould and rot. Roxas slowly approached the door then he raised the camera as if on instinct. Something within him told Roxas that he had to snap a picture of the presence in front of the door and the blond did not question that feeling. He raised the camera and peered through the eye piece to see the circle glowing blue.

"When the capture circle glows blue it means there's a presence waiting to be set free. When it glows red it means something wants to hurt me." Roxas whispered.

"So you're beginning to remember." The blond spun around to see the girl again.

"What the hell is happening to me?" Roxas cried harshly.

"You didn't want to remember Roxas." the girl shook her head sadly. "The pain was too great for you to handle."

"What can I not remember? How do I know this place?" Roxas was getting beyond frustrated.

"The priest approaches!" the girl backed away into the darkness again. "Don't let him touch you!"

"Wait! Don't go!" Roxas reached out to grab the girl but she vanished from sight. "Dammit!" the blond swore loudly.

Turning around he took a breath and brought up the Camera Obscura to take a shot of the wooden door of the old house. When he took the picture the presence in front of the door vanished instantly and the door swing open to reveal a small room. Roxas took a cautious step inside and he let his flashlight spill across the quiet room.

There was a lattice fence to his left where he could make out some sort of storage area. There were pots, jars, kimonos and various tools strew across the floor. Roxas saw a door at the other end of the small room so he made his way cautiously to the other end of the room.

Gripping the door knob Roxas tore the door open and entered a larger room which had to be the main living area of the house. There was a sunken fireplace next to a flight of stairs leading up to the second floor of the house. A lattice fence separated the room into two sections. There were pillows on the floor along with some tables set up for tea. Roxas approached the fireplace and scanned the rest of the room with his flashlight. He saw a hallway with a thick cloth draped over the entrance.

"I want to see you just one more time." A feeling of such dread filled Roxas when he heard those words.

"Oh god..." he caught sight of a tall man covered in black ornate tattoos.

"I want to see you just once more Demyx." The man said in a pained voice laced with loneliness.

"Get away!" Roxas yelled as the man walked towards him, one hand reaching out.

"So much pain...I have it all." The man snarled as he came closer and Roxas finally found his mobility.

He ran towards the hallway and pushed the cloth aside. He knew that he couldn't take on that man; the power he was emanating was too strong. Roxas pumped his arms for speed and when he turned around he saw the tattooed man floating towards him.

Letting out a fearful gasp Roxas ran faster down the hallway until he came to stone steps that led downwards. Running down the steps Roxas ran through a cold, damp corridor that stank of rotting meat and smoke.

He stopped when he reached a large stone door but when that terrible feeling washed over his flesh he shoved the door open and stumbled into a wooden corridor. He slammed the door shut behind him and breathed out his relief when that feeling vanished, leaving him cold and scared.

His blue eyes scanned the immediate area and he realised that he was lying in a small narrow hallway with lamplight spilling down from the room above him. He saw another flight of stairs going upwards and at the top of the stairs there was a single crimson butterfly.

"Axel?" Roxas whispered as he watched the butterfly dance in the air and then a long forgotten memory came back.

_"Come on Roxy! You don't wanna get left behind do you?" the tall red head laughed as he ran through the sunlight forest._

_"Reno, please control your brother!" Roxas pleaded as he ran after the twins._

_"But I'm the cripple here Roxas and you can't even keep up with me!" Reno grinned. _

_"You guys love to humiliate me don't you?" the blond scowled._

_"Only because we love you babe." Axel replied._

_"I really hate you." Roxas muttered. _

_"You don't mean that baby." Axel pouted, attempting to look all cute and innocent. _

_Roxas continued to scowl but a smile replaced the frown when Axel jogged back and wrapped his arms around his waist. The blond sighed as he placed his head on Axel's chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. He could never stay mad at Axel for long especially when he started running his fingers through Roxas' hair. The blond could hear Reno sniggering from somewhere nearby but he didn't say anything about it. When Axel pulled away Roxas stared up into those beautiful green eyes he loved oh so much._

_"You can screw each other once we get home!" Reno laughed. _

_"Shut up Ren!" Axel yelled back but he was smiling. _

_The trio moved through the woods but once they neared the road leading out Reno stopped and stared at what looked like a crimson butterfly. Axel had called for Reno to get back on the road but it was as if the red head was in a trance and before Roxas or __Axel could stop him Reno took off back into the woods. Axel screamed for his twin to come back and Roxas followed close behind._

_They chased Reno through the slowly darkening woods as the crimson butterfly flew onwards past thick ancient trees, deeper into the woodland. Axel tried calling for Reno to stop but he could barely keep his twin in sight. Roxas ran alongside Axel and the two stopped when they spotted firelight coming from a nearby hill. Axel gripped the blond boy's hand tightly in his own as they ran up the hill to find Reno standing near a large black spiked shrine._

_"Reno!" Axel yelled and he grabbed his twin by the arms. "What the hell were you thinking? You could've been killed!"_

_"The Crimson Butterfly...we're here Axel." Reno whispered as if in a trance._

_"Is that a village down there?" Roxas pointed down the pathway._

_"All God's Village." Reno muttered as Axel tightened his hold on his twin. "We've come home."_

Roxas screamed as he closed his eyes and fought to banish the images from his aching head. Reno and Axel had been here too, they had all come to this place because of a Crimson Butterfly. The blond sobbed as he slumped in the corner of the hallway. He didn't want to remember anymore, not this place, not what happened to the twins...he didn't want this. His shimmering blue eyes drifted to the staircase when he heard a voice muttering from the floor above him. Wiping his sore eyes Roxas got to his feet and walked towards the steps.

He entered a small room with a table, cushions and small lanterns lining the cream coloured walls. Roxas swung his flashlight around when a flash of red caught his eye and he spotted a Crimson Butterfly floating around an open brown door. A voice was muttering something from beyond the door and Roxas felt apprehensive as he approached the door. Gulping down the lump in his throat Roxas swung his flashlight into the room but stopped when he saw what looked like a wooden cell door.

"We made a promise. We promised we'd always be together." That voice, so achingly familiar it made Roxas' heart hurt.

"Is it you?" the blond whispered as he knelt down at the wooden bars of the cell and fixed his eyes on the figure before him.

"We're twins you and I. We were always supposed to be together." The man sobbed. "Why am I alone?"

"Oh god...you're here." Roxas couldn't breathe.

"Please, come back." Green eyes turned and fixed onto Roxas. "Why did you forget us Roxy?"

"I didn't mean to!" Roxas sobbed as he fell to his knees. "Oh god...Axel!"

"Help me Roxas." Axel murmured and then Roxas woke up.


	8. The Vanishing Spirit

**Chapter Eight**

**The Vanishing Spirit **

In another part of town, just as Roxas fell into his own personal nightmare Squall Leonhart remained awake as he went through the various tapes he had on Cloud. He had gathered what he could from the hospital then he kissed Cloud goodnight and went home to the quiet apartment.

The place had been so silent since the accident but Leon refused to get used to the silence. When Cloud came home he could breathe easy again but until then the brunet wasn't going to sit here and do nothing. He rubbed his sore as a headache made its presence known.

He had been staring at a computer screen for hours but before that he had gone through notes, book and other texts to find anything on the Camera Obscura and the Manor of Sleep. The brunet sat back in his chair as his thoughts drifted to Sora and his cousin.

The young boy had been ensnared by the curse of the manor and he had seen Cloud in that place. Cloud was in there, waiting for someone to save him. Sora Kurosawa had given Leon hope. Reaching into his jacket pocket he withdrew the Griever Pendent he had given to Cloud long ago.

He missed Cloud so much it physically hurt sometimes. The first week or so Leon cried himself to sleep every night when he got home to an empty apartment. His friends tried to help him but there was nothing anyone could do or say that would help the brunet. Seifer and Zell were too stubborn to just give up and eventually they got Leon to leave the apartment. His two blond friends were the ones to suggest urban legends as a basis for Cloud's sickness.

At first Leon dismissed it as insane and unrealistic but when Cloud's condition worsened and he wouldn't wake up despite his injuries healing Leon had to look into it. He wasn't sure how Seifer and Zell knew about the folklore but he didn't get a chance to ask the about it. The two had moved back to Balamb City a few weeks after the accident and Leon hadn't heard from them in a while. Aerith came by often to check up on him and Cloud.

He ran his fingers over the cool metal of the lion's head. Cloud had once joked to Leon that he considered himself more a wolf than a lion. The scarred man ending up buying a wolf necklace and earring for his blond lover.

Switching off the computer Leon stood up and stretched then he fell onto his bed out of utter exhaustion. He didn't bother changing his clothing, he was too tired now. Holding onto the pendent as if it were a precious treasure Leon closed his eyes and feel asleep almost instantly.

The snow fell gently around the house and along the white grounds. The place actually looked serene and inviting where it not for the feeling of foreboding blossoming within Leon's heart. He glanced up towards the dark sky but he couldn't make out a single star in that all consuming darkness. Swallowing thickly he looked at the house then stopped as a blond haired figure stood at the entrance. His back was to Leon but that hair style was unmistakable.

"Cloud?" Leon gasped but his body was frozen to the spot.

"Stake the priest into the ground." The figure answered as he opened the door to the manor. "Close the Chamber of Thorns."

"Cloud!" Leon screamed out as he ran towards the closing door. "Come back!"

"Find the Sacred Stakes and impale the priest." A voice called out. Turning around Leon spotted a little girl in a kimono.

"Who are you?" Leon demanded.

"The one you love waits for you inside. The priest won't let him leave." The girl replied.

"I'm not leaving without Cloud." Leon snarled.

"Then take this." The girl pointed to her feet as she vanished into the darkness.

The scarred man glanced down at the section of ground the girl had been standing on before she vanished. He spotted an object lying in the snow along with a flashlight and his heart clenched when he realized that the object was that camera. Stooping down he retrieved the Camera Obscura from the ground along with the flashlight. Leon turned back towards the manor and that sense of foreboding only increased. A piece of folklore sprung to his mind concerning chasing ghosts. If you follow the dead in your dreams you can never return.

"I'm coming for you Cloud." Leon swore and he tore open the double doors of the manor.

When he entered the building he was blinded by a flash of bright light and then he fell forward and thumped on the hard wooden floor beneath him. When his vision cleared Leon loomed around to discover he was lying in the middle of a narrow hallway. Glancing up he saw a hole in the ceiling and snow was falling gently through the cracked wood and plaster and onto the floor. Leon scrambled to his feet and brought hid flashlight up to inspect the silent hallway.

He noticed a door behind him but it was nailed shut with thick pieces of wood across it, effectively blocking any entrance. Leon brought his flashlight around again and he saw that the hallway ended in two opposite directions.

He ran down the hallway and turned to the left first when he saw what looked like a red butterfly. Morbid curiosity made him follow the strange looking butterfly until he came to a door. When Leon tired to open it he discovered that it was sealed tight, as if a powerful force prevented him from getting to the other side.

Giving up after trying to kick the door down Leon turned and walked in the opposite direction. He ran up a flight of wooden steps until he came to a small hallway with a cupboard at the other end and a door to his right. Leon felt suddenly nauseas and weary as he approached the cupboard, his grip on the camera increasing as he drew it up to his eye. The moment he got close enough the cupboard doors flew open and a small child with long black hair fell out.

"Stay with us forever." She hissed as she crawled towards the shocked brunet.

Leon brought up the Camera Obscura and snapped off a shot forcing the girl to back away as she hissed and spat in anger. Diving forward she grabbed hold of his leg and tried to pull him towards her. Growling Leon pulled his leg away and snapped off another shot so that she backed off completely.

Leon moved towards the door and leaned against it as he took another picture of the girl. She opened her mouth and blood erupted from between her lips moments before her body vanished and blue lights flew towards the camera in Leon's hands.

When the presence vanished Leon opened the door he was leaning against and he entered what appeared to be a bedroom. There were kimonos lying all over the place and a slide screen to his left. Leon saw tabled and cushions scattered across the floor and another door on the far side of the room.

When he brought his flashlight to the left hand side of the room he swallowed down the bile gathering within his throat. There was a small dressing table leaning against the wall and fix clumps of long black hair nailed to the wall.

"What the hell?" Leon approached the table. A person would have to be on their knees to access the single drawer.

Leon reached out and opened the drawer. Inside he found a small book with a purple cover and some film along with a picture of a boy with a bizarre hair style. Leon gently placed the book on the dresser top and opened it. The hand writing was curled and delicate, the writer might have been a woman. Leon couldn't make out some of the words but he eventually found a few paragraphs he could read. He felt guilty for reading someone's diary but maybe the writer knew something about the manor and the curse.

_He still hasn't returned to me. The Ceremony Master informs me that Kiname left to return to Hollow Bastion but I do not believe him. I know Kiname loved me; he gave me his family heirloom when he told him I was carrying his child. I know he loves me but I cannot understand why he has not returned. Our child will be born within the month. The Ceremony Master has chosen our next Sleeping Priest for the ritual that will take place eighteen years from now._

_The newborn Zexion has been chosen to be the Sleeping Priest. It saddens me that a baby is picked by men who wish only to appease the Abyss of the Horizon. Why must a child suffer for out futures? But i am a Priestess and I will be used should the Ceremony fail when we perform it six months from now. The Priest Saix is ready to die for his duty, his conviction is so strong, he sees nothing wrong about this and that saddens me even more so._

_My child is quite feisty. He refuses to refrain from kicking me and yet I love everyone moment his little feet touch my womb. I can feel that I will give birth to a boy, I just know I will. I truly hope Kiname will return soon for the birth but if not then I have settled on a name for out child, our proof that our love was real and true. I'm counting down the days to when out little Demyx will be born._

The entry ended there because the rest of the words couldn't be read. Leon flipped through the pages of the diary until he found another entry. This went on to say how the writer of the book got to live to watch her son grow up. The articles concerning the Sleeping Priest was interesting as well as the ritual concerning the Abyss of the Horizon. Leon flipped through the diary until he came to an entry that he could read. He learned that the woman's name was Amyca and she was now watching her teenage son Demyx grow close to Zexion.

_I've tried telling my son that getting close to Zexion will only end in pain for the both of them but he won't listen. Since that day in the garden the two boys have become inseparable and the Ceremony Master has become angry with me. I cannot control Demyx anymore especially when it comes to the Priest. My son seems to be infatuated with Zexion but I dare not voice my opinions to the Ceremony Master. I love Demyx so much but if he gives Zexion a true connection to this world then the ritual will fail. I can only hope that Zexion does not return my son's feelings...it will mean death for us all. _

"Demyx...Zexion..." Leon closed the book when he couldn't find anything else that was remotely readable. He examined the boy in the photo and realized that this must be Demyx.

The picture was black and white so Leon couldn't tell what colour of eyes or hair Demyx possessed. He wore a bright smile on his beautiful face and he was waving at the camera. He was wearing a kimono but he was barefoot and the picture was taken when he sat on the edge of a pond.

The manor was in the distance and it looked like the sun was out. The place actually looked quite beautiful in the picture. Leon put the photo in his pocket but left the diary on the desk. Maybe he could get this photo out of the manor like Sora brought Cloud's pendent out.

Leon felt his heart clench as he thought about his missing blond lover. He had to be in this manor somewhere along with that ghost, the tattooed man. Leon made his way to the other door and he pulled it open but his thoughts were on that diary entry. Could Zexion be the ghost with the tattoos? Was the lullaby about him and how to stop him? He would make assumptions later, for now he wanted to find Cloud and get him out of here alive. He spotted a flight of stairs leading back down to the first floor.

The room he walked into was a small storage area with boxes of kimonos, mirrors, tools and jars. Leon made his through the small hallway instead on going through the door at the bottom of the staircase. The hallway ended with a door that was left slightly ajar to reveal a garden covered in snow. A large tree with red paper dolls was situated in the centre of the rectangular garden and as he entered the area Leon heard that lullaby.

**Catch the boat and take a ride**

**The last trip to the other side**

**Once you get there sacred marks you'll be**

**Perform the rite of stakes**

**His limbs pinned to the ground**

**Sleep Priest lie in peace**

"Who's there?" Leon swung his flashlight in the direction of the singing voice.

"Find the stakes and let him sleep." that girl was visible again near double doors with chains and nails covering them.

"Subdue the Priest with the song then impale his limbs to the ground." The girl instructed then she vanished.

"Fuck..." Leon swore angrily.

"I don't want to see any more..." a raspy voice whispered behind the brunet. A feeling of utter helplessness and pain ghosted across his skin and he felt cold. Turning around he caught sight of the man with tattoos. "I just want to see him one more time." The man gasped as he reached out.

"Leon!"

The scarred man stopped in his tracks and tuned his head towards the sound of that voice. On the other side of the garden was Cloud, his eyes frantic and his hands waving for Leon to come to him. He was actually there, his eyes pleading for Leon and move.

The brunet felt actual happiness blossom within his heart for the first time in months. Cloud was really here with him again. As the cold feeling intensified Leon sprinted away from the reaching ghost and made his way towards Cloud.

"Don't let him touch you!" Cloud screamed as the ghost got closer to Leon.

"Don't leave Cloud!" Leon cried when the blond backed away.

"Help me Leon." Cloud pleaded as he backed away until he reached a door. "It's agony every time he gets near me."

"Please, don't leave me Cloud!" Leon didn't care if he was begging. He's get on his knees and scream to the heavens if that was what it took to bring Cloud back to him.

"Please stop him Leon. I love you." Cloud whispered as he ran out of the door.

"Cloud! Come back." Leon reached for the door but when icy fingers brushed against his neck he screamed and woke up.


	9. The Taming Lullaby

**Chapter Nine**

**The Taming Lullaby**

Sora had awoken last night without a dream for once but it caused the brunet to be alarmed and scared. Although he did have a memory of Roxas running through the manor as he chased after a tall man with red hair. Groaning the small brunet swung his legs out of bed and grabbed some clean clothes from his closet.

He was hoping to talk to Leon again today about the tape and Cloud. Sora cried out when a terrible pain shot across his back and shoulders. Looking around he spotted the snake tattoo spreading across his skin like wildfire.

"But I didn't dream last night!" Sora sobbed as the pain worsened. He fell to his knees as the tattoo spread across his legs.

"Oh god..." Sora choked out. After an eternity of agony it stopped and he fell onto his stomach as he tried to catch his breath.

"AXEL!!!" Roxas' shrill scram pierced Sora's heart and he quickly stood up on his painful legs.

"Roxas!" Sora tore open the bedroom door and ran into his cousin's room.

He stopped when he saw his blond cousin sitting up in bed with his back pressed firmly against the wall and tears sliding down his cheeks. His chin was resting on his knees and his arms were wrapped around his legs. All the blood had drained from his face and he was covered in sweat. Sora limped over to the bed and sat down next to the blond man who was now shaking uncontrollably. When Sora placed a hand on Roxas' shoulder two blurry red eyes locked onto his own blue ones.

"I didn't want to remember what happened Sora." Roxas sobbed.

"What's wrong Roxas?" Sora asked gently.

"I had a dream..." Roxas glanced at his now shocked cousin. "I saw them."

"The twins?" Sora questioned after a few moments.

"We went to that village...we got lost and Reno went missing." Roxas sniffed.

"But you can remember this now?" Sora rubbed the blond's back soothingly.

"It was what happened when we found a way out." Roxas sobbed hysterically.

"What happened?" Sora whispered.

"It's not fair!" Roxas shouted in anger. "Reno and Axel didn't deserve that! They were innocent."

"Roxas...did they die?" Sora gulped down the lump in his throat.

"Reno...he died because of the ritual." Roxas sobbed pitifully. "It was the only way to stop the Malice from spreading."

"Oh god Roxas I'm so sorry." Sora felt tears fall gently down his cheeks.

"Axel...he couldn't accept the truth about his twin." Roxas wiped his eyes. "He told me to leave him behind!"

"Roxas..." Sora didn't know what to say but Roxas began talking again.

"I couldn't leave him there. I stayed and then this Crimson Butterfly flew out of the ground and I don't remember anything else aside from waking up outside the woods." Roxas wiped the tears away.

"What happened to Axel?" Sora murmured.

"I couldn't find him." Roxas whispered and the words were spoken in such a heart breaking tone Sora wanted to cry. "I looked everywhere for him Sora but I couldn't find him."

"What happened Roxas...to make you forget?" the brunet stroked his cousin's hair.

"After losing the twins I didn't want to remember anymore. I just wanted the pain to go away." Roxas sniffed. "I can't remember anything after collapsing in the woods."

"I remember your mom telling me you got sick while on vacation." Sora nodded his head.

"She didn't know about Axel or Reno." Roxas glanced at his cousin.

"How long did you know them?" Sora was curious.

"I was on vacation with my dad in Balamb. I met Axel and Reno at this comic book store." Roxas had a wistful smile on his face. "Axel and I hit it off instantly. We liked the same stuff and Reno was a really fun guy to talk to."

"I wish I could've met them." Sora mused.

"There was something about Axel that just drew me to him...almost like a force of gravity." Roxas murmured quietly.

"Did you love him Roxas?" Sora whispered gently as the blond started sobbing again.

"I never got to tell him!" he wailed as he slung to Sora and sobbed until there was nothing left to give.

At the end of their folklore lesson Sora and a silent Roxas approached Leon who in turn handed over the tapes concerning Cloud and other victims of the curse. The scarred man looked awful, as if he hadn't been getting any sleep at all.

He was also constantly tugging his Griever Pendent and muttering something about Cloud and Zexion. Sora felt his heat hammer his chest when he saw a black tattoo across Leon's flesh and he grabbed the man by the wrist when he made a move to leave.

"You've been cursed haven't you?" Sora demanded.

"I felt his fingers on my skin." Leon shuddered violently. "He kept saying something...he didn't want to see anymore."

"I see him too." Sora murmured and even Roxas shook as he remembered the terrible feeling of having the tattooed man nearby.

"What happened Leon?" Sora grasped the man's arm.

"I dreamt of the manor last night." Leon replied after a few moments. "I saw Cloud there and I found this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture of the cheerful looking boy.

"Who's that?" Roxas asked.

"I think it could be Demyx. He was mentioned in this journal I found. The writer talked about a Sleeping Priest called Zexion." Leon informed the cousins.

"Do you think Zexion is the tattooed ghost?" Sora asked.

"I was going to look up any information of him and Demyx they had a connection that was considered taboo by the people living in the manor." Leon took the picture back from Sora.

"Leon, did you ever hear of something called All God's Village?" Roxas said before Sora could talk again.

"Let me think." Leon frowned as he went through his memories and knowledge of folklore.

"What about the Crimson Sacrifice?" Roxas crossed his arms. When he mentioned that Leon's face lit up.

"I remember reading something about the Crimson Sacrifice. It concerns twins and their sacred duty to close down the Gates of Hell. If I remember correctly one twin sacrifices the other." Leon answered and then the blood drained from his face.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

"The sacrificed twin became a Crimson Butterfly." Leon breathed. "I saw one in my dream."

"So did I." Roxas murmured and he glanced at the scarred man. "It's a long story but I'm gonna help you and Sora."

"We don't have long until the curse consumes us Sora." Leon scratched his arm and Sora winced as he saw the snake spreading. "I don't know how much longer Cloud can last in that place."

"So what should we do?" Sora frowned.

"You take those tapes and I'll find what I can on Demyx and Zexion. The old records about Hollow Bastion should have something on them." Leon replied.

"Give me a call if you find anything." Sora said then with a final wave he and Roxas left the room.

* * *

When night fell across the city Roxas was downstairs making something to eat. He was terrified to go to sleep especially after last night but for once Sora was adamant about returning to the Manor of Sleep.

After listening to the tapes Leon had given them the cousins learned that various people with nothing in common all experienced the manor and the curse. But they did posses one thing in common...they all lost a loved one. The manor was truly a blessing and a curse for most people.

Some people saw their dead parents, siblings or lovers. Most of the cursed patients saw their lovers instead and that alone made Sora think about the tattooed man. If the man was Zexion then maybe he had a connection to Demyx that triggered the curse. The more Sora listened to the tapes about lost lovers the more Sora was convinced that Zexion or whoever the ghost was is punishing the survivors. Roxas had already gone to bed albeit looking white and scared.

"If you get to the manor I'll try and find you." Roxas had promised Sora before going to bed.

"Be careful Roxas." Sora hugged his blond cousin before going to bed himself.

Sora sighed as he lay down on his bed and his thoughts drifted once more to Riku. He could hear that beautiful laughter and see that breathtaking smile. If he closed his eyes and wished then Sora could almost feel Riku wrap his arms around his body and hold him close until he was warm and safe. Tears leaked from his eyes as he grabbed a pillow and clung to it, all the while whimpering for his dead lover.

* * *

When Sora opened his eyes he felt groggy and almost nauseas. He was gripping the Camera Obscura in a death grip and the flashlight was shaking in his grasp. He felt terrified but he couldn't understand why and then he began to remember what happened the last time he had dreamed. He was standing by this door were Riku was and then a voice called out. Turning around Sora screamed when he saw a bloody ghost running towards him with a meat cleaver in his hand.

"Shit!" Sora yelled as he dived out of the way and hit his body against the wall.

"The Chamber of Thorns must never be opened!" the bloody man roared.

"Dammit..." Sora hissed as he moved away from the wall and brought up his camera. He snapped off a shot that sent the ghost back.

"The Priest must sleep for all time." The man cried as he lunged towards Sora.

The brunet ran along the garden then turned back and snapped off another shot but the bloodied man kept on coming with an enraged scream. When the ghost approached Sora the burnet managed to snap off a shot at the man's head and he fell back screaming while clutching his face.

Sora breathed deeply as the evil presence vanished from the area leaving him alone in the snowy garden. Getting back to his feet Sora glanced around when he felt another presence wash over his flesh.

"This way!" it was that girl again. She was standing at the entrance to the hallway on the right.

"Wait!" Sora called when she turned and ran into the hallway. Sora chased her until she stopped at the small child's door.

"Use the orbs. Collect the four orbs and play the song to lower the Hanging Prison." The girl said hurriedly.

"Don't go!" Sora cried but the girl had already vanished. Sighing he pushed open the small door and entered the red room with the paper dolls.

"There you are." he spotted an orb the size of his fist sitting on the altar. Picking it up he examined the red jewel then placed it in his pocket. "One down, three to go."

Sora left the room and made his way back into the garden. The door that would take him to Riku was still sealed thanks to a powerful force. Maybe if he got to this Hanging Prison he could open the door to Riku. He had to find three more orbs and hopefully he could find Roxas in this place too.


	10. The Hanging Prison

**Chapter Ten**

**The Hanging Prison**

Roxas placed a hand against his aching head as he sagged heavily against the wall. His breathing was laboured and his heart was beating erratically. His vision was slightly blurry but that was due to the tears he had shed when he remembered what happened to Axel and Reno when they entered All God's Village.

The blond swallowed the lump in his throat before pushing away from the wall and approaching the wooden cell where he had seen Axel. He gulped when he realized the cell was empty but the cell door was unlocked.

Roxas brought his flashlight up and shone the bright beam into the cell. He crouched down and passed through the now open door then stood up to his full height to examine the cell. There were book cases with various books and tomes spilling across the floor.

There was a small table were Axel had been sitting nearby when Roxas spotted him in the cell. On the white wall was a drawing of a Crimson Butterfly and below the drawing was the words' together forever'. Roxas felt his foot brush against a book and he glanced down to see what it was.

It was a thick red tome with black writing on the front cover. The title was the Crimson Sacrifice. Roxas felt sick to his stomach as the words were burned into his brain. Because of that fucking ritual Axel had become a Remaining. Roxas didn't need to read that book to know what became of a Remaining. The surviving twin sometimes went insane with grief but they were prevented from committing suicide. Other times their hair would turn completely white and they would remain in a catatonic state for God only knew how long.

Axel had fallen to his knees and sobbed for his twin to come back. It wasn't Axel's fault; he had been possessed when he entered the Last Chamber to find Reno. Roxas had tried to stop them but it was fruitless. In the end Roxas had watched helplessly as Axel strangled Reno to death. The blond couldn't begin to understand what went through Axel's mind when that happened. Roxas kicked the book away then he turned back towards the table to see if he could find anything of use.

After going through the drawers he found a bronze key with a pair of mandarins engraved onto the round tip. Placing the key in his pocket Roxas took another glanced around the cell before turning and exiting through the small wooden door.

Roxas stopped when he heard someone running down the steps he had come from and a door opened that would lead back into the hallway towards the house in the village. As his heart began to beat faster Roxas went to open the door next to the cell but it was locked tight.

Roxas swing his flashlight back towards the staircase and he sighed heavily. Gripping the Camera Obscura the blond boy made his way back down the stairs then stepped through the door that took him back into the long dirt hallway.

He didn't feel the presence of the ghosts or the tattooed man and he breathed out his evident relief. He ran through the hallway until he entered the main living area of the house again. As he stood near the sunken fireplace he absently wondered where he was supposed to go next when he heard footsteps from above.

"Who's there?" Roxas called when he spotted two black haired children walking along the upper floor.

The blond quickly ran up the staircase near the sunken fireplace until he came to the narrow second floor walkway. He saw a door on the other side of the walkway but there was no sign of the black haired children he had seen. Approaching the door Roxas shone his flashlight on the door knob when it refused to open for him. When he saw a picture of mandarins he drew out the key and stuck it into the lock. It turned without any effort and the door swung open. Roxas felt warmth touch his skin and he clicked off his flashlight as he stepped into the room.

The room was lit by candles and the golden light provided enough warmth and light for Roxas. He stared at the room before him and he realized that the place had been made specifically for twins. There were twins of everything in here. There were twin dressers, toys, books, beds and clothing. The small shrines in front of Roxas drew his attention when he spotted photos on the tops of the shrine. Roxas retrieved both pictures that were of altars in a room with paper dolls decorating the walls.

"Through here!" that girl called out and Roxas yelped in surprise.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" the growled as he gripped his flashlight.

"The other is seeking two of the orbs. You can find the other two from here." The girl pointed towards another door.

"Are you talking about Sora?" Roxas demanded.

"Hurry!" the girl cried out.

"Stop! Who are you?" Roxas cried as she glided towards the door. "Is the tattooed priest Zexion?"

"It's all my fault." The girl whispered when she reached the door. "If I hadn't taken Demyx into the Chamber of Thorns this wouldn't have happened."

"Who is Demyx?" Roxas cried desperately. "Please, just tell me who they are."

"Demyx is my brother." the girl whispered hoarsely. "I took him into the Chamber of Thorns to see Zexion one last time. But everyone died."

"Oh my god..." Roxas whispered.

"Please, find the orbs and go to the Hanging Prison." With that said the girl vanished once more.

"Great..." Roxas muttered as he ran towards the door.

Gripping the knob he pulled the door open and stepped into a stone corridor that led downwards into a pitch black tunnel. His flashlight beam cut through the inky blackness and Roxas followed the beam downwards.

He felt soft earth beneath his feet and the place had the smell of freshly cut earth. Water was dripping from somewhere nearby but Roxas didn't care about anything else except getting to the other side of the tunnel. After a few minutes of endless walking Roxas came to a stone door with blood stains.

Taking a breath he shoved the door open and entered a room with red paper dolls decorating the walls and an altar on the other side of the room. Roxas saw fist size blue jewel sitting on the altar and with a smile he reached out and grabbed it. It was exactly like the one he had seen in that photo. After placing the orb in his pocket Roxas approached the small door and unlocked it. The door swung open and into a dank hallway.

Glancing to the left Roxas spotted a way back to the second level thanks to a large flight of stairs. The blond was beginning to feel the tiniest bit safe when that cold feeling of dread washed over his body and began to consume him. Roxas gulped when he saw a man in white with a red hat on his head made his way down the stairs. Roxas brought up the camera had snapped off a shot that resulted in a Fatal Frame attack. The ghost screeched in agony as his hands flew to his face.

Roxas bolted up the stairs and avoided contact with the ghost as best he could. He snapped off another shot to stun the ghost before tearing open the door and stumbling into a small room that stank of blood, piss and rot. He fought back the urge to be sick violently; instead he placed a hand over his mouth and nose and carefully stepped over the human shaped lumps that littered the floor.

Thick dusty clothes lay across the room and Roxas could clearly make out something in the shape of a human lying underneath the cloths. Moving through the small cramped room Roxas breathed out his relief when he saw a door that would take him out of this horrific room. As he swung his flashlight around the room he saw blood stains coating the walls, floor and ceiling. The door swung open with a loud creaking noise and Roxas stepped out into a dimly lit chamber.

It was a bedroom by the looks of things. He saw a dresser and a bed with a table and cushions on the floor along with blood stains all over the place. Roxas made his way to the door on the other side of the room and he pulled it open to step onto a tiny balcony with a ladder leading down into a large room with a sunken fireplace in the centre. The blond climbed down the rusty ladder the shivered when he felt a presence nearby.

"Now what?" he groaned as he fixed his flashlight on the source. Bringing up his camera he aimed it at a small glass window that opened up to reveal a crawlspace.

"The orb lies within." A voice whispered.

Roxas gulped but he knew he didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. Getting down on his knees he pulled up the glass and then flattened himself on his belly and began to crawl into the small space. The flashlight provided a thick bright beam and Roxas easily navigated through the crawlspace until he came to a trapdoor. He pushed it up and Roxas pulled himself up into another room with red paper dolls and an altar. He quickly grabbed the golden orb then turned around to look for an exit.

He spotted a child's door that was locked with a latch. Flipping it open Roxas stepped through the door and into a large room that made him stop and stare. There were five mummified men hanging from the ceiling thanks to a rope toed around their necks. A large Buddha statue was leaning against the northern wall and Roxas saw a small altar in front of the statue. Gripping his camera Roxas ran towards the door next to one of the hanging men and he pulled it open.

"Sora is in the garden." Roxas looked up to see the girl standing in the hallway. "Just follow this hall then take the stairs and pass through the bedroom. Follow through until you come to another staircase that will take you down and into a storage room. The garden lies beyond that room."

"I'm coming Sora." Roxas murmured and he took off down the hallway moments after the girl had vanished.

Sora exited the second room with the red paper dolls and he was holding the second orb which was a deep purple colour. As he entered the garden again he stopped when he heard a door opening and footsteps running along the wooden pathway. The brunet almost cried out in relief when he saw his cousin running towards him with his own camera and flashlight.

"Roxas!" Sora cried and he ran to the blond.

"I can't believe I actually found you here Sora." Roxas hugged his cousin tightly.

"Thank god you're safe." Sora let go of the blond. "I found two of these orbs Roxas."

"Me too." the blond reached into his pockets and withdrew the coloured jewels. "I met that girl again. She told me about the Hanging Prison."

"Follow me!" both boys jumped and turned when they saw the girl again. "The Hanging Prison is this way!"

Neither boy asked questions so instead they ran after the girl as she glided back the way Sora had come. When she reached the door that was blocked with a powerful force she placed her hand on the wood and a blue shield seemed to drop from the door. Backing away she smiled at the boys then vanished once more.

"I hate it when she does that." Sora muttered. "Who is she anyway?"

"She is Demyx's sister." Roxas murmured and Sora stared at him in shock. "She never told me her name but she told me that Zexion is the one responsible for this."

"So it is Zexion..." Sora muttered.

"Yeah and Demyx is linked to him." Roxas affirmed as the boys opened the door and stepped into a hexagonal shaped room.

There was an altar for praying at the far end of the room and candles were lit along the walls. Glancing up Sora spotted a hanging cage and he could see a pale hand sticking out. He nudged Roxas and the blond gasped when he saw the cage above him. The boys glanced around for a mechanism to lower the cage with. Sra tired calling out but the person remained motionless.

"Can you feel that?" Sora gasped when his skin became freezing cold.

"Something's in here Sora." Roxas chattered.

"Sleep Priest, lie in peace." A deep voice boomed.

Both boys turned to the source of the voice. There stood a large man wearing a black kimono and a demon mask covering his face. Large thick black tentacles extended from his back and clawed hands were extended from the tips of the tentacles. The man was floating a few feet off the ground and his eyes glowed bright red. As the boys backed away the creature opened his mouth and screamed.


	11. The Sacred Stakes

**Chapter Eleven **

**The Sacred Stakes**

Leon rubbed the sore muscles of his neck as he shut off his computer for the night but not before printing out the information he managed to gather. He scanned over the pages of the web page he had found concerning the legend of the Sleeping Priest and the Curse of the Tattoo. From what he had found one particular story caught his eye more so than the others. He had found a story concerning a young monk who fell in love with another man from his village.

The two kept their relationship a secret for five years until a terrible disease ravaged the village and the monk's lover was one of the casualties. Unable to take the pain of losing the love of his life the monk climbed a steep mountain to see a Holy Woman who could brand a tattoo onto his skin.

The Holy Woman was able to give him a tattoo consisting of holly and a snake. The holly made him feel constant physical pain so that he could be distracted from his emotional agony. The snake then proceeded to eat the man's pain right out of his heart.

But the monk couldn't forget the love and need he felt for his dead lover so the snake continued to eat his pain until it consumed his heart. Because he no longer possessed a heart or the strength to continue living without his lover the monk wished to sleep for all time.

The Holy Woman granted his wish but in doing so he was forced to take on the agonies of the villagers and take them to the Land of the Dead. Unable to awaken from his eternal slumber the monk will spend eternity sleeping.

Leon figured that this was where the ritual for the Sleeping Priest had been born from. The tattoos and the mention of the sleeping monk were too similar to what Zexion had gone through in that house. There was also mention of the lullaby which helped to send the monk into his slumber.

Aside from the folklore on the priest and the lullaby Leon managed to locate something on Demyx Gemias. It had taken him all day but he eventually found the old Hollow Bastion records in the town hall and he couldn't believe his luck when he found Demyx.

He found more information from the hospital archives. It took a lot of persuading but Rinoa managed to get him the documents he wanted. Over a century ago a young man named Demyx Gemias came to the hospital complaining of bizarre dreams about the manor in which he used to live.

After extensive reading Leon discovered that Demyx had a strong attachment to a man called Zexion Talos and Demyx was convinced that his friend was calling out to him from the manor. Demyx vanished from the hospital a few weeks later.

The scarred man rubbed his eyes as he fell onto his bed, one arm thrown over his face as he let exhaustion consume him. He didn't want to dream tonight but if he could only see Cloud again, for just one moment then he would feel happy again, even for a moment. He wondered if he would encounter Sora in the dream world now that he had been cursed by the priest. Sighing he closed his eyes and, with an image of his beautiful blond, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Leon groaned against the pain that was spreading across his body like wildfire as the tattoo painted his flesh in black, blue and red ink. He was leaning heavily against the wall that led into the garden. His ragged breathing was the only thing that could be heard across the snowy garden. He couldn't feel the presence of the tattooed ghost anywhere nearby and he breathed out his relief. Glancing around the garden he hoped to catch a glimpse of Cloud or Sora. Bitter disappointment filled his heart when he realized that he was alone.

"You've come back." Leon turned around to face the door that had opened when he had his back turned.

"Cloud?" he whispered. Leon felt all the air leave his lungs as he took in the sight of the blond.

"Hey Lion." Cloud gave him a tiny smile.

The scarred man didn't reply. Instead he dropped the camera and flashlight so he could wrap his arms around Cloud. He was squeezing hard enough to make it difficult for Cloud to breathe but the blond didn't complain.

He missed this so much, just having his lion hold him like this, as if the world was ending. Cloud buried his face in Leon's neck while wrapping his own arms around the brunet. They stood like that, in the snow, just holding one another until Leon pulled back and pushed his lips against Cloud's.

"I missed you so much Sunshine." Leon moaned. Cloud smiled into the kiss when Leon used his nickname.

"I was lost without you." Cloud murmured as he kissed the brunet back with all the passion he possessed. "I love you so much."

"I love you too Cloud and I'm going to get you out of here Cloud." Leon placed his hands on the blond's face.

"Sora...is he ok?" Cloud asked after kissing his lover again.

"Yeah, he's a tough kid." Leon smiled. Cloud gripped Leon's hand and pulled him away from the garden.

"I think I know something that can stop the tattooed man." Cloud said and he pushed open the child's door that led into the red paper doll room.

"What is this place?" Leon asked when Cloud led him to a small altar.

"The Child Priestess used to stay in these rooms. There are four in total." Cloud explained as he reached out to touch a small black box resting on the altar.

"How do you know that?" Leon murmured.

"When you're stuck in this place you might as well try to find a way out yourself." Cloud replied.

"What's that?" the brunet pointed to the object lying inside the now open box.

"It's a Sacred Stake, one of four." The blond answered.

"What can they do?" Leon examined the beautiful silver stake. Runes dotted the stake as well as writing.

"Amala told me how to stop the priest." Cloud said.

"Amala?" Leon cocked an eyebrow.

"The girl in the kimono, the one who helps you." Cloud exited the room with Leon in tow.

"Demyx's little sister has been helping us?" Leon whispered.

"She blames herself for what happened." Cloud shook his head sadly. "She told me that Demyx and Zexion were lovers before Zexion was taken to become the Sleeping Priest. The Ceremony Master sent Demyx away to Hollow Bastion."

"I found records on Demyx. He disappeared from the hospital he as being treated at." Leon frowned. "But how can these stakes help us?"

"I had no use for them before. The Chamber of Thrones lies beyond that door." Cloud pointed to the double doors. "It was always sealed but something ahs removed the magical barriers."

"Sora most likely." Leon nodded.

"Amala said that if we use the stakes to bind Zexion's body then the curse will be lifted." Cloud explained.

"So we collect the other stakes. Hopefully we'll meet up with Sora." Leon handed Cloud the flashlight.

"We'll get out of this Leon." Cloud touched his face tenderly. "I've got so much to live for."

"We both have." The brunet smiled at his blond lover.

Cloud led Leon to the next room so that they could collect the second Sacred Stake. On their way out one of the girls appeared and tried to put a stake through Cloud's legs. It took a few shots and a lot of carefully dodging but eventually Leon managed to vanquish her and they left the room. Leon followed his lover back through the mansion but the number of attacks was beginning to increase. Cloud knew the mansion inside out and it didn't take him long to get Leon to the third stake.

Another one of the Priestesses emerged and attacked Leon with her hammer and stake. He ended up taking the blow to his left leg and the girl laughed as blood coated his leg and the floor. While Cloud distracted her Leon managed to hit her with a Fatal Frame shot. After defeating the girl both men quickly made their way to the fourth room where the last stake resided. Leon winced when he entered a large chamber with a Buddha statue and six mummified men hanging from the ceiling.

"Where do you think Sora could be?" Cloud asked once they had retrieved the final stake.

"Follow me." A girl's voice called out. Turning around both men saw the young girl in the kimono.

"Amala..." Cloud smiled at her.

"Sora and Roxas are heading towards the Hanging Prison." Amala informed them. "They can reach the Holly Mirror now."

"Can you take us to them?" Cloud asked.

"We have to hurry. Zexion is approaching." Amala whimpered as she said the name.

Leon and Cloud glanced at one another fearfully before following the girl out of the room and across the Buddha chamber. She took them back through the house as fast as she could until they reached the garden again. Cloud felt his body aching with the telltale pain that always signalled Zexion's arrival. Cloud whimpered as the pain shot across his body and he fell against Leon.

"Go through that door!" Amala pointed towards the door at the end of the hallway she had taken them to.

"Thank you." Leon said as he pulled the door open and pulled Cloud through.

"Leon!" the burnet glanced up to see Sora along with Roxas.

"What the fuck is that?" Cloud muttered when a large man with tentacles and multiple hands appeared out of the wall.

"Fight now! Talk later!" Roxas yelled as he brought up his camera.

"Stay back Cloud!" Leon warned as he handed the stakes to the blond.

"The Chamber of Thorns must never be opened!" the creature roared angrily. "The Sleeping Priest cannot be released!"

"Whatever." Leon snarled as he charged into the fight.

* * *

**Note-**Not the longest chapter in the story but I just wanted Cloud and Leon back together before the group goes after the Holly Mirror and that will be coming up next along with the fight against big, ugly and tentacled. Till next time my lovelies!!! 


	12. The Holly Mirror

**Chapter Twelve**

**The Holly Mirror**

The creature scowled and snarled at the group of living humans standing within the Hanging Prison chamber. They were armed with the Camera Obscura, three different versions of it and all possessing different levels of power.

The creature growled when he spotted the blond man holding the four Sacred Stakes and that could only mean one thing. They wished to enter the Chamber of Thorns and enter the priest's burial ground. This could not happen. Zexion's rage would seep into the World of the Living if that door opened for even a second. Raising his tentacles the creature got ready for the attack.

Cloud backed away against the farthest wall, clutching the stakes to his chest and praying to God that Leon and the other two boys will make it through this mess. Leon had moved behind the creature and he managed to snap off two shots but it didn't seem to faze him in the least.

Sora pulled Roxas away when one of the clawed hands lashed out towards the short blond. Roxas yelled when one of the claws slashed his skin open and blood dripped steadily from the open wound. Sora snapped off a Fatal Frame shot that forced the creature back towards the wall.

Leon was hit across the chest with one of the thick black tentacles and he was thrown against the wall because of it. Cloud melted against the shadows as the creature advanced on Sora and Roxas again.

He felt useless hiding like this and holding onto four stakes that couldn't do him any good at the moment. Scowling the blond stood up from his hiding place and ran towards the nightmarish creature that was now attempting to strangle Leon to death.

"Hey ugly!" he yelled as he held up the stakes.

"You posses the Sacred Stakes!" the creature howled. His red eyes flashed with unholy light.

"That's right." Cloud replied as he backed away and the creature floated towards him. "Come and get me."

"Cloud!" Leon cried when one of the tentacles wrapped around the blond's waist.

"Roxas, move to the right." Sora called as he stood behind the creature and aimed the Camera Obscura.

"You cannot enter the Chamber of Thorns!" Cloud cried out in agony as the tentacle squeezed.

Sora hit the ghost with a Fatal Frame head shot and he smiled when the creature dropped Cloud and clutched its own head screaming all the while. Sora had found a weak spot. Roxas and Leon backed away to get clear shots of the creature's head and allow time for the lens to build up to a Fatal Frame attack. Cloud had slumped to the ground and was holding his bruised body. He was breathing hard but he grinned at Leon and backed away into the shadows again.

The scarred man moved to stand in front of the creature so that he could snap a shot of its face. Roxas was standing alongside Sora who was moving to stand in front of the small wooden altar surrounded by various candles.

One of the beast's tentacles whipped out and slammed into Roxas' head, forcing the blond boy against the altar. When he fell the two orbs he had collected fell out of his pocket and rolled towards the ghost. Red eyes fell on the jewels and he opened his mouth to let out a terrible scream of rage.

"You cannot open the door!" he screamed as he slashed Roxas across the arm again.

"Get away from them!" Leon growled as his stormy eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

"Look out!" Sora called just as a tentacle came towards Leon's head.

The taller brunet ducked out of the way just in time and the tentacles slammed into the wall instead. Pieces of wood rained down onto Leon but he managed to get back on his feet in time to snap off another shot.

When the creature was blinded this time Sora lined up the lens to release another Fatal Frame attack. This time the ghost let out a terrible blood curdling scream as he fell to his knees and his body dissolved into the floorboards. No one moved for a while until the terrible presence faded completely and they began to breathe in relief.

"Are you guys ok?" Cloud went to Roxas' side and helped the boy up.

"We'll live." Roxas winced as his arm throbbed in pain.

"At least we're together now." Sora pointed out. "That was good teamwork."

"It's not every day you fight a ghost using a camera." Leon shrugged but he smiled at the younger boy.

"How did you know where we were?" Sora asked Cloud.

"Amala led us here." The blond answered. At Sora's confused look Cloud filled him in on Amala and her connection to Demyx and Zexion.

"So Zexion is the priest?" Sora frowned. "And you think he went mental because he lost Demyx?"

"We'll figure that out later." Roxas interrupted. He grabbed the orbs he had dropped. "Let's see if these work."

He and Sora approached the altar so they could see four indentations on the top of it and the size indicated that the orbs could fit inside. When Roxas put one of the orbs in the first indentation one of the lines of the lullaby sang out.

When Sora placed one of his orbs in an indentation another line sang out. It became obvious to the boys that they had to use the four orbs and set them in the right order. It was made that much easier because Sora had already heard this lullaby being sung throughout the Manor of Sleep.

"I think we got it!" Sora exclaimed after a few minutes of swapping the orbs around.

**Sleep Priest lie in peace**

**Sleep Priest lie in peace**

**If the Dreamer wakes from his dream**

**Perform the rite of stakes his limbs pinned tight**

**Lest the doors open wide and suffering unleashed on us**

The sound of a machine activating made the four men glanced upwards towards the cage suspended in the air. When the cage began to lower towards the ground Sora and Roxas got ready for an attack while Leon grabbed hold of Cloud's hand.

They could feel a presence coming from the cage but it was unlike anything they felt before. It was sadness and loneliness mixed with a deep rooted love. Whoever was in the cage had felt all these things at the same time. When the wooden cage touched the ground Sora peered in but found the cage to be empty.

"Wait a minute." Cloud approached the small door and opened it. "I can see something."

"What is it?" Leon questioned. The feeling of sadness had amplified.

"It's a mirror and a book." Cloud had found the items on the piece of cloth that was lying inside the cage.

"Does the book have anything useful?" Roxas asked.

"Let me see..." Leon flipped open the book but drew in a breath when he saw who the owner had been. "It's Zexion's diary."

"Oh my god." Sora gasped. Roxas was holding the strange mirror in his hands. It was circular in shape with a perfect glass surface and a navy coloured frame with a snake adorning it. On the back was holly and the words 'Gather the Pain and forget your Hope' written on the back.

"What did he have to say?" Cloud murmured. Leon flipped through the old pages until he came to a section he could read.

_I'm locked in this cage awaiting my descent into hell. It is my sacred duty as the Priest to withstand the agonies of the Abyss for the sake of everyone else in this godforsaken manor. I hate this place so much. No one wanted to befriend or even get to know me. I couldn't have an emotional attachment to this world or the ritual would fail. It doesn't matter anymore; the ritual will fail any way because I have forged a bond not even the Ceremony Master could break._

_Demyx wanted to be my friend and he was more than adamant concerning that task. He never gave up on trying to talk to me. He made time to get to know me. Eventually he became my dearest friend and the keeper of my secrets. He knew my fears and my hopes and my dreams for a future I will never have. He became my very world and I was filled with so much joy whenever he came to visit me._

_After a few months I realized that I had fallen in love with this angelic creature. He never failed to make me smile or laugh. He wiped away my tears when I cried and he held me when I felt cold. He was the one constant in my life and I knew without him I may as well be dead. The Gods were smiling on me when he returned my feelings. He was my first kiss and the only one I wanted to kiss. He gave me his body, heart and soul. He was everything and then the ceremony Master extracted him from the manor a few weeks before the ritual. _

_My life was a living hell without my lover by my side. The agony of being tattooed with all the pain of the house's inhabitants was nothing compared to the shredded mess that was now my heart. I miss him so much. I would give my soul to see him just one more time but as I languish in this cage my hope has eroded completely. I will meet my fate in the Chamber of Thorns but no power in this world or the next will erase the love I have for Demyx._

"It has to be him." Sora muttered when Leon was finished reading.

"Now what do we do?" Roxas questioned as he held up the mirror. "We have this mirror and the stakes."

"We should try going through that door." Sora spoke up. "Where I saw Riku."

"Can we get through the door now?" Leon asked. "We don't even know where this mirror goes."

"What other choice do we have?" Roxas muttered.

"It's worth a look right?" Sora pointed out. The others nodded in agreement but before any of them could move a blinding light flashed across Sora's vision and he woke up.


	13. The Broken Chain

**Chapter Thirteen**

**The Broken Chain**

Sora jerked upright in his sweat soaked bed, his breathing ragged as he clutched at the bed sheets until his knuckles turned white. He could still smell the horrid rotting flesh of that creature with the numerous tentacles. He could still hear that lullaby as the cage was lowered to the floor.

Sora gasped out as white hot pain snaked across his flesh, down his back, across his arms and over his legs. He gritted his teeth to prevent the scream that was lingering within his throat just waiting to be released. He felt his blood go cold when he saw the tattoo spreading over his bare legs and down to his feet. He was running out of time.

After a few minutes of willing the pain away Sora staggered out of his bed but he fell to his knees because of the flaring pain. Soon the pain vanished completely and Sora was able to retrieve some clothing from his closet. He stank of sweat and he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Turning around he glanced at the Camera Obscura lying on his desk and his thoughts drifted to Riku. Would he finally see him in that dream world? He heard footsteps coming from across the hall just as a telephone went off downstairs. Roxas knocked on the door and entered when Sora called his name.

"Are you ok Sora?" Roxas approached his cousin.

"I'm fine Roxas. Could you get the phone and I'll make us breakfast." the brunet replied.

"Ok. I hope Leon is ok." Roxas murmured as he left the room.

"Cloud..." Sora felt saddened that the blond was still unable to wake up. Zexion had to be holding him inside the manor.

"Sora, it was Leon!" Roxas' voice called up to him a few minutes later. "He wants to meet up with us at eleven at the Radiant Cafe."

"Tell him we'll be there." Sora called back.

It was a Saturday leaving the day free to do some digging into the manor's sordid past as well as Hollow Bastion itself. The town had been built on blood because of those rituals. Sora couldn't begin to understand the beliefs of that time but it still seemed a horrific fate to befall any man or woman.

Zexion had been a victim who fought back and instead infected the manor with his sadness and rage. Sora quickly ran down the stairs and made his way to the shower that was situated in the main hallway. Once inside he locked the door and stepped into the shower.

The hot water pelted his skin and the heat turned the creamy flesh bright red. In some way Sora hoped that the hot water would wash away the tattoo on his body. After Riku died Sora spent a lot of time in the shower, staying there until the water was freezing cold and he started sneezing. The rain had been cold that night when the car went off the road. Riku's body had been so cold to Sora's shaking touch when he tried to wake the silver haired man up.

Sora pressed his hands against the white tiles and lowered his head so that the water washed against the back of his neck. He was so close to finding Riku now. All he had to do was go through that door and he would see him again.

He would look into those aqua eyes and feel the silky silver tresses again. He just wanted to see Riku one more time, so badly. Was this how Zexion felt when he was locked in that cage? From what Leon had told them Zexion had loved Demyx so much he risked the ritual itself just to be with him.

"Riku..." Sora gasped out the name as the tattoo flared up again. "Oh god...Riku." the brunet started crying.

He hadn't cried this hard since the funeral two months ago and now that he started it seemed he would never stop. Even if he found Riku he could never be with him again. The dead could never come back and the living couldn't follow them either. It wasn't fair.

Sora sobbed until his throat ached and his head pounded. He wanted his life back...he wanted Riku back. Sora felt his skin become icy cold but the water was still hot. He shivered violently as the tattoo across his body exploded and he fell to the floor in agony.

He tried to scream but the breath had been stolen from his body and his eyes were drawn to the glass slide of the shower that was now frosting over with ice. Sora backed away so that his back pressed into the tiles. Through the ice he could see a tall dark figure moving towards the glass. One hand was placed on the glass and Sora finally let out a scream when a hand with six inch nails appeared on the glass pane. Sora closed his eyes and willed the horrid apparition away.

"Sora!" Roxas screamed when he reached the door and tried to pull it open. "Sora, are you ok?"

"Roxas?" the brunet whispered when he opened his eyes to see the ice gone along with the dark figure. "I'm fine Roxas."

"I heard you scream." The blond replied as he continued to try and pry open the door. "Open the door Sora."

"I'm fine Roxas, really. I just slipped." Sora replied as best he could.

"Are you hurt?" the blond demanded.

"I'll be out in a few minutes Rox. I'm fine." Sora answered. He was thankful when the blond eventually went away.

Sora climbed out of the shower and turned the water off when it started to finally go cold. He dried his shaking body hastily then pulled on a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. After placing his crown necklace around his neck Sora exited the shower and made his way back towards the kitchen were Roxas was making breakfast. They had a few hours to burn before meeting up with Leon. Sora figured that he could go online and look up anything about Hollow Bastion. Before Roxas could question his cousin the phone rang again.

"Hello?" Roxas asked when he picked up the receiver. "Dad?" Sora glanced towards his cousin. "What's wrong? Dad, slow down, what is it?"

Sora watched as Roxas listened intently to his father. After a few moments the colour had fled from Roxas' face and he was shaking violently. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates and his mouth was open in a silent scream. He looked ready to pass out any second and Sora quickly grabbed hold of the blond before he fell to the floor.

"Uncle?" Sora grabbed the phone from Roxas. "What is it?"

"Thank god you're there Sora." His uncle breathed out. "I can't believe this is happening."

"What's wrong? Roxas is having a fit!" Sora cried urgently.

"I got a call from the Radiant Garden Psychiatric Hospital. I don't know if Roxas told you this but he had a good friend called Axel Sinclair. The hospital called to tell me Axel's been comatose for the past few months but he's been screaming for Roxas for the past two days." Sora gulped down his shock.

"Roxas mention him to me." Sora whispered.

"Axel gave them my number. Roxas never told me what happened to that boy or his twin." The man cried.

"It's a long story uncle but I promise you I'll explain everything later. I'll take care of Roxas ok." With that Sora hung up and went back to his cousin.

"Rox?" Sora shook his blond cousin roughly. "Come back to me Rox!"

"He's alive Sora." Roxas choked out. "All this time...I had no idea."

"Calm down." Sora rubbed the blond's back. "What do you wanna do Rox?"

"I have to see him." Scared blue eyes met twin blue eyes. "I have to know."

"Ok. I'll take you." Sora helped Roxas out of the house, all the while keeping a tight grip on his hand.

When they arrived at the hospital Leon was already there. Sora had called him as he left the house with a silent Roxas in tow. The scarred man glanced sadly at Roxas but he said nothing. Instead he followed the boys inside and stopped when they came to the reception desk so that Roxas could ask for the doctor looking after Axel. While Roxas sat silently in the Waiting Room Leon pulled Sora aside to talk privately about the door where Riku had gone through.

"So that door could lead us to the Chamber of Thorns." Leon rubbed his face.

"I can't think of anything else." Sora amended.

"Do you think this'll end if we stop Zexion?" Leon questioned.

"It has to." Sora rubbed his red eyes.

"Are you alright?" Leon placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Yeah it's just been a rough morning." The brunet replied.

"Roxas Kurosawa?" a female asked.

"That's me." Roxas got up and approached a kind looking woman with long brown hair tied back with a pink ribbon.

"I'm Doctor Aeris Gainsborough. I've been Axel's doctor since he was found in the woods." She said sadly. "I want to cut to the chase Roxas and ask for your help."

"What can I do?" the blond asked.

"I have to tell you about Axel's condition first." Aeris frowned. "He was found in the woods just outside Twilight Town. He was barely alive and comatose. He didn't speak a word to anyone but two nights ago he started screaming for you. He was lucid enough to give us your home number though but now he's gone back to his original state."

"I didn't know Axel was here...I never knew." Roxas whimpered.

"No one is blaming you Roxas." Aeris said soothingly. "But can you shed some light of how Axel ended up in those woods?"

"I don't know..." Roxas muttered. "His twin brother Reno died a few months ago."

"I see..." Aeris murmured. Her green eyes glittered as she smiled at the blond. "Would you like to see him?" she inquired kindly.

"Sora?" Roxas turned to his cousin.

"Go on Roxas." Sora encouraged him.

The blond nodded thickly then he followed Aeris through the polished corridors. He passed various locked rooms and he winced when he heard screaming coming from some of them. He noted the pained look on Aeris' face but he remained silent for now. He needed to see Axel for himself. He had to know for sure. Gulping down his fear Roxas followed Aeris into the room at the end of a long hallway.

"He's not talking now Roxas. Be prepared ok." She warned.

"I'm fine." The blond replied just as Aeris opened the door. Roxas took a deep breath before stepping into the room to see the only man he'd ever loved.

"Axel?" Aeris asked softly. There was a lump lying under the blankets on the bed. "Roxas is here."

"Axel?" the blond murmured.

As soon as the name escaped his lips Roxas watched as a tall lanky red head emerged from the blankets. His once vibrant green eyes were like dull glass and his skin was sickly white. Aeris watched in astonishment as Axel did the one thing, next to talking, he hadn't done since he was found.

He smiled.


	14. The Burning Reminder

**Chapter Fourteen**

**The Burning Reminder**

It was look he was watching a movie being played out. Roxas didn't feel as if he were really standing in front of Axel, the red head with a small smile on his chapped lips and his dull glass green eyes glowing lightly. His red hair was limp around his beautiful face and he had terrible dark bags under his eyes.

Roxas wanted to reach out and touch him, just to be reassured that he was truly with the red head who had stolen his heart. Aeris was standing at the door to the room, her eyes observant and waiting. Roxas made up his mind to approach the silent red head.

"Hey Axel..." he said tentatively.

"You're not a dream are you?" Axel's voice was raspy from misuse.

"I'm right here Axel." Roxas whispered gently with tears stinging his eyes. "I missed you so much."

"I want you to be real." Axel murmured.

"I am real." Roxas walked towards Axel who took a step back.

"I saw you in that mansion with Reno." Axel choked out the name of his twin.

"Yeah, I saw him too. He's looking for you." Roxas murmured.

"Do you go into the Manor of Sleep? Do you hear the lullaby?" dull green eyes stared at him.

"Listen to me Axel..." Roxas approached the red head. "I'm trapped in that manor too. I'm gonna help you ok."

"It's so dark in there...and that song..." Axel sank to the floor, his knees drawn up to his chest.

Roxas sank down in front of the red head, his trembling hands paced on Axel's knees. Aeris remained silent as she observed the conversation between Roxas and Axel while her heart ached for them both. It was obvious how much Roxas cared for his friend and Axel's reactions were very promising.

Maybe there was hope for him after all. Roxas gently squeezed Axel's knee to let the man who that he wasn't another figment of his imagination. The blond student bit back his tears when Axel began to mutter nonsense in his dementia.

Roxas heard his friend calling out for Reno and then the tears fell as Axel begged to be forgiven for what he had done. Roxas choked as he remembered back to that terrible night in All God's Village. In the end the Camera Obscura didn't save them and the ghost who died trying to complete the ritual possessed Axel to finish what he started. Reno had already been possessed and he knew that there was only one way to stop the Malice from escaping the village and reaching the outside world.

The blond boy could still see the whole thing play out. Axel wrapping his hands around Reno's neck and squeezing until all the life had fled from the twin's eyes. That had been the basis of the ritual. The Crimson Sacrifice required that the elder twin killed the younger for the Malice to be appeased. The twin so committed the act became the Remaining. Often the Remaining would go insane with grief and guilt and they were worshipped and feared.

"I'm sorry Roxas but Axel needs his medication now." Aeris said gently.

"Of course." the blond muttered as he rose to his feet. "I'll come back soon Axel, I promise you."

"You always did keep your promises Roxy..." a soft whisper caught the blond's attention but Axel resumed staring at the wall.

"Thank you for coming Roxas." Aeris said when they left the room.

"Will he ever get better?" Roxas murmured quietly.

"I honestly don't know." Aeris sighed heavily. "But your presence has done wonders for him."

"I wanna help him." Roxas affirmed.

"Thank you Roxas." Aeris smiled warmly.

By the time Roxas got back to the Waiting Room Sora and Leon were still there deep in conversation. The smaller brunet was telling Leon about Riku, a faint smile visible on his lips and his eyes were alight for once. Roxas smiled faintly for his cousin but the images of Axel trapped in that room tore at the blond relentlessly. He sat down opposite Sora and Leon so that he could put his head in his hands.

"How is he?" Sora asked.

"He knows about the manor. He hears the lullaby." Roxas replied tiredly.

"We've got to get into the Chamber of Thorns." Leon stated.

"You're right. Tonight we'll get through the door somehow." Sora said.

"What about you Roxas?" Leon stared at the blond. "Do you wanna stay here tonight?"

"I'll go back with Sora to the apartment." Roxas sighed. "The sooner we get this over with the better."

"Ok, I have to go but I'll call you guys later." Leon got up and left the hospital.

"Come on, I'll drive." Roxas motioned for Sora to follow him.

The cousins arrived back at their apartment just as the sun was setting along the jagged mountains surrounding Radiant Garden. Both boys were exhausted and they quickly retired to their bedrooms. Sora tried to take his mind off things by working through his assignment due in on Monday while Roxas remained in his room staring at the picture of Axel and Reno. He had to save the red head from his self imposed hell. He had to get Axel back. Sighing Roxas placed the picture back on his desk then got into bed.

While Sora and Roxas drifted into the oblivion that was sleep they both pictured the room with the Hanging Prison. Hopefully Leon would be there along with Cloud but Sora already knew where the door was.

Roxas had the Holly Mirror in his possession so they could open the door and find the Chamber of Thorns. Sora felt a genuine smile touch his lips as an image of silver hair and aquamarine eyes filled his vision. Once he got through that door he would see Riku again.

* * *

The lullaby forced Sora to open his eyes when his feet touched flat wood and the smell of damp wood and rot touched his nostrils. His hands were once again gripping the Camera Obscura and the flashlight and Roxas was standing beside him. The blond was holding onto the Holly Mirror while his camera remained strapped around his neck. Turning around when he heard a grunt Sora spotted Leon leaning heavily against the wall. There was no sign of Cloud anywhere in the room.

"Are you guys ok?" Sora asked once they were settled.

"I'm fine." Roxas nodded as his tightened his grip on the mirror.

"Cloud's not here." Leon sounded scared and Sora didn't blame him for that.

"You can go look for him Leon." The brunet stated gently.

"But if we find the chamber then the curse ends right?" Leon looked towards the door that would lead them out. "I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?" Roxas slipped the mirror into his pocket.

"I'm sure. Besides Cloud might already be there." Leon replied firmly.

"Let's end this." Sora grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.

They walked into the silent hallway and back up the steps into the large square chamber with the curtained area. Sora led the way towards the door that would take them into the corridor connecting into the garden. They encountered no resistance of any kind and there was no sign of Zexion. The manor for once seemed almost peaceful and for that Sora felt wary. He led Roxas and Leon back into the snowy garden and towards the door.

When they reached the door Sora stopped and stared at it. The presence holding it firmly shut was now gone. The paper dolls had vanished and the looks were open. They could finally see what was beyond the door.

Taking a deep breath and praying for Riku to be on the other side Sora opened the double doors. Cold air washed over their flesh and the feeling of being crushed consumed the trio. Sora staggered through the doorway and onto a wooden patio. Roxas and Leon were behind him, they too suffering from the strange crushing sensation.

In front of them was a large courtyard and a pathway was lined with human sized lanterns. At the end of the pathway was a red archway and beyond the archway was a building unlike anything within the manor.

Swallowing his fear Sora stepped down from the patio and walked along the cobbled pathway towards what had to be the shrine. Most ancient cultures possessed a place for worship and in Hollow Bastion these places were the shrines.

"There's someone over there." Leon pointed towards the shrine. A figure was standing by the door, his long silver hair cascading past his shoulders.

"Riku!" Sora cried as he started to run down the pathway.

"Sora don't go!" Roxas yelled.

"Riku! Don't leave again!" the brunet cried. The crushing sensation was lessening the closer he got to the shrine doors.

"Sora!" Leon called but the smaller brunet ignored him and Roxas.

Sora ran towards Riku, his heart hammering in his chest and tears leaking from his burning eyes. He was so close now, so close to just reaching out and touching Riku again. His silver haired lover reached out and opened the doors leading into the shrine then he turned and smiled sadly at Sora. The brunet ran towards the shrine but when he reached the door Riku had vanished again.

"Please come back..." he wailed as he stumbled into the room. "I don't wanna be alone anymore..." Sora whispered pitifully.

"Are you ok?" Roxas fell beside his cousin while Leon inspected the room.

"This has to be the main Shrine Room. This must be where the inhabitants of the manor came to worship the Tattooed Priest." Leon approached the singer altar at the other end of the room.

"Can you stand up Sora?" Roxas asked the smaller brunet.

"He was right here Roxas!" Sora cried helplessly. "Every time I get close to him he leaves again!"

"What the hell is this place?" Roxas gasped when he looked up and caught sight of another altar. There was a human woman lying on the surface with hundreds of large pins stuck in her body.

"I found something for the mirror." Leon called to the boys. He shone his light on a pedestal on the altar. "Look at that."

"The mirror could fit inside." Roxas said as he examined the circular indentation with a holly pattern around it. Holding up the mirror he looked at the other two then swallowed. "Pray that this works."

He inserted the mirror and all hell broke loose.


	15. The Unforgiving Rage

**Chapter Fifteen **

**The Unforgiving Rage**

The moment the mirror was inserted into the indentation the feeling of dread and terror washed over the trio assembled in the shrine room. They turned towards the door that was now sealed by a strong force thanks to the ghost that was gliding towards them. The ghost was a woman.

Her eyes had been gouged out and needles decorated every inch of her upper body. She was wearing a purple skirt that hid her legs and her hair was so long it cascaded past her waist. Her mouth opened for black fluid to escape and coat her flesh.

Leon, Sora and Roxas backed away from the horrid creature that was now moaning as she glided towards them. The sound of wood creaking caught their attention and Sora swallowed his terror when another needed covered woman emerged from the wall. The two women flanked the main door out of the shrine, their powers holding the door closed tight. Bringing up the Camera Obscura Sora snapped off two shots on the nearest ghost.

Roxas moved towards a ladder he spotted against the wall that led up to a second floor and then onto the rafters of the shrine. Leon grabbed Sora's arm and pulled him away when the ghost on his right tried to grab him. The other woman was chasing Roxas across the second floor. Leon snapped off a few shots and they forced the ghost backwards. Her horrid face was twisted into a terrible scowl as she raised her hands and made an attempt to reach Leon and Sora.

The smaller brunet aimed for the woman's face and he snapped off a shot that sent her screaming backwards. Leon pulled Sora behind the altar and he ordered the boy to stay hidden for a few minutes. When he stood up again Leon approached the needle woman and aimed his camera at her head. It seemed that the head was the weak spot for any of these creatures. Leon yelled at Sora to move and use his camera on the ghost now that Leon had stunned her.

"Roxas!" Sora screamed when a pained yell came from above them.

"I'm fine! Get rid of that ghost!" the blond yelled back.

"Sora, get away from there." Leon ordered as he attacked the ghost.

The smaller brunet moved behind the altar once again so he could get a clear shot of the needle woman as she reached out for Leon. Her blackened fingers scraped across Leon's jacket sleeve and broke through the material to pierce the flesh beneath.

The tall man cried out when needles became embedded in his arm and he dropped the camera out of reflex. Sora moved quickly so he could snap off another shot at the ghost. Meanwhile Roxas was being chased across the thick wooden rafters by the other ghost.

The blond managed to damage his assailant a few times but she was now enraged and constantly trying to pierce him with her needles. Roxas his behind a wooden pillar then he stepped out when she got close enough. Instead of looking through the lens he snapped off a shot and the flash caught her directly in the face. Even without eyes the ghost screamed and fell backwards off the rafters. The attack was enough to defeat her and her body vanished into the floor.

Leon grabbed his camera when he saw the ghost falling from the floor above. He heard Roxas walking back across the beams of wood above. One down and one to go. Sora was behind the altar again but the needle woman had managed to embed some needles into his right leg. Leon ran behind the ghost who had no set her sights upon Roxas as the blond descended back down the ladder.

"Roxas, behind you!" Sora called when he spotted his cousin.

"I've got her!" Leon snapped off a few shots and drew the ghost's attention away from the blond.

"Are you ok?" Roxas demanded when he fell besides his bleeding cousin.

"I'm fine." Sora said through gritted teeth. "Is Leon ok?"

"Shit!" Roxas cried when the woman made a swipe at his head.

Sora reacted on instinct and he brought up his camera to take a shot at the woman's mangled face. The light flashed across her face forcing her to scream out and fall to the floor. Leon was leaning against the wall while his arm continued to bleed pretty badly. Roxas, after making sure that the ghost was gone, got up and approached the scarred brunet. He tore a piece of his shirt to bandage the wound. Leon flashed him a grateful smile then they went back to Sora.

"Are you guys ok?" Sora asked as Roxas helped him up.

"We're ok." Roxas nodded. He glanced towards the mirror on the altar. "Now what do we do?"

"Look over there." Leon pointed behind the altar.

"It's a door." Sora muttered. Sure enough a door was now visible against the wall behind the altar with the mirror.

"The women must have been protecting it." Leon stated.

"Let's see what they were protecting." Roxas muttered then he gripped the door handle.

When he opened the door a blast of stale air almost knocked them off their feet and the sound of what seemed to be praying could be heard. The trio saw a long tunnel that led deeper into the shrine. Stairs disappeared into the thick darkness.

Leon took the lead and he activated his flashlight. The feeling of being crushed was overwhelming and Sora had to fight the urge to flee from this place. Roxas was gripping his hand for comfort and that small gesture made it easier to breathe.

Leon led them deeper into the choking darkness until they came to a thick red door. Taking a breath Leon pushed it open but then the three boys were blinded by a bright light. The sound of praying was louder now and more understandable.

When he got his vision back Sora glanced around and he jumped back, startled. He saw two of those needle women and a man dressed in white. The robed man was standing next to a cage was suspended over a large chasm.

"What's going on? I don't feel a presence here?" Sora questioned thickly.

"Maybe it's something to do with Zexion." Roxas pointed out.

"Look in the cage." Leon pointed towards the wooden cage.

Inside the cage was a person with lavender coloured hair that hid half his face from sight. He was sitting on the floor of his prison cell while the robed man continued to chant an incantation. The tattoos stood out against his pale skin and when he looked towards the robed man Sora could see a bright violet eye. The two women approached a large lever and they both pulled on it to begin its descent. When the cage lurched Zexion suddenly reached out across the bars, his visible eye wide and filled with hope and something else.

"What's he reaching for?" Roxas whispered.

"What is this? A memory?" Sora questioned. Leon glanced between Zexion and the robed man.

"That cage must lead into the Chamber of Thorns." The scarred man pointed out.

"Demyx..." Zexion whispered hoarsely but the trio still heard it. The cage then descended into the darkness below.

"Look over there." Roxas pointed to a spiral stone staircase.

"Let's follow it down." Sora stated.

The boys made their way down the spiralling staircase that would hopefully take them into the chamber where Zexion resided. Leon still possessed the four Sacred Stakes for the spell to work. Sora limped down the stairs with Roxas' help. The descent was long and slow but after minutes of endless walking they eventually reached the bottom of the chasm. Leon brought his flashlight over to the cage to discover that it was empty.

"Oh my god..." Sora choked out.

"What is it?" Roxas followed Sora's gaze and stopped when he saw something on the ground near the cage.

"That's Demyx's sister." Leon choked when he spotted the girl's corpse. "Amala..."

Her body was lying on the dirt floor. She was spread eagled and black stakes had been driven forcefully through her hands and feet. Her mouth was coated in dried blood and she was lying in a large pool of the crimson liquid. Leon felt sick to his stomach that this had to happen to a little girl. Suddenly a familiar presence washed over his skin and the ghost of the dead girl appeared above her own body. She had a forlorn look on her face.

"They did this to you?" Sora whispered.

"This is but a memory Sora. I was punished for letting Demyx enter the shrine." Amala replied sadly. "This chamber will replay your worst memories before you reach the Chamber of Thorns."

"This is your memory isn't it? Your death?" Roxas murmured.

"The one you saw above was of Zexion's memories. He just wanted to see Demyx one more time." Amala sighed sadly.

"Where is Zexion?" Sora asked.

"When you opened the shrine he was drawn back here." Amala glanced towards a large stone door near her body. "He's waiting for you."

With that she vanished once more. Sora, Roxas and Leon glanced at one another before making the choice to open the door and finish what they came here to do. Leon approached the door and placed a hand on it. A part of him didn't want to see what was beyond this door but they had come this far. They had to end Zexion's rage before they too succumbed to the Curse of the Tattoo.

When Leon shoved the door open the boys were blinded by another flash of light and then the feeling of rainwater hitting their skin washed over them. When Sora opened his eyes he realized that he and Roxas and Leon were standing on the side of a curving road.

The rain continued to beat down relentlessly and Sora was filled with a sense of such utter fear and helplessness when he began to remember where he had seen this place before. This was where his life ended.

"No...oh god no...not here..." Sora began to sob as he peered over the edge of the riling and into a small valley below.

"Sora..." Roxas swallowed his own tears as he realized what memory this was. Lying below was a wrecked car and a pale arm was sticking out of the smashed window.

"What is it?" Leon asked. Roxas glanced sadly at the scarred man before answering.

"This is Sora's memory of the night Riku died."


	16. The Shattered Haven

**Chapter Sixteen**

**The Shattered Haven**

The rain beat down relentlessly against the slick road and a small river of rainwater flowed down into the muddy valley below. The wreckage of the car was lying against a thick tree that now had shards of glass sticking out of the truck.

The arm lying against the broken window was covered in blood thanks to a large gash along the forearm. Sora was frozen solid where he stood, his mind unable to process the fact that he was reliving his worst nightmare again. Roxas was gripping his hand hard enough to cut off the blood circulation.

Leon was making his way down into the valley to the car, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of a ghost, Amala or Zexion. The rain continued to fall in icy sheets and soon all three boys were soaked through. Sora wanted to run away, he wanted to run as fast as he could and escape from this moment in his life. He had lost everything here two months ago. His life had been lost in a flurry of twisting metal, broken glass and refreshing rain water.

Roxas had never asked Sora about the accident, scared that his cousin would sink deeper into his depression if he asked him about it. Tears cascaded down Sora's pale cheeks but he wasn't sobbing like he sometimes did when he thought about Riku. Roxas could understand how Sora felt. When he remembered his feelings for Axel and the events that tore them apart Roxas had wanted to just cry until there were no more tears left.

At least Axel was still alive, albeit trapped in his guilt and pain but alive nonetheless and Roxas swore that he would help Axel through this nightmare. Roxas still had Axel in some way but Sora would never get Riku back.

At the end of the day Riku was still dead and he was never coming back. Leon made his way towards the wreckage and he stopped when he reached what was left of the car. Dropping to his knees he peered inside then looked away just as quickly.

Sora didn't even need to ask why Leon looked away with that look on his face. Riku's head had been smashed open on impact. Pieces of bone and brain matter had been thrown around the car. Blood was pooling around Riku's head and the rainwater mixed into the blood turning it a slightly pink colour. Sora remembered lying beside Riku after he dragged his own broken body out of the woods. He just wanted to lay there and die with his silver haired lover.

Riku was pronounced dead at the scene while Sora had been saved and taken to the Radiant Garden hospital for treatment. Sora recalled trying to fight off the hands that were pulling him away from Riku. Nothing mattered in that moment to the shattered brunet, only that he had to stay with his fiancé because he promised Riku that he'd never leave him. Sora could feel the tears falling faster and more freely now as he faced the truth. It was all his fault.

Riku was dead because he had been driving that night. Riku had wanted to drive them back to their apartment but Sora had been too stubborn. Riku had already give him such a wonderful evening out and he wanted to repay his lover by driving him home. Sora didn't bother to stop the sobbing now. If he hadn't been so stubborn and just let Riku drive he'd still be alive. They would've been married by now and everything would've been so perfect.

"It's my fault!" Sora screamed as he fell to the ground. "I should've just let him drive us home! He's dead because of me!"

"Sora, it's not your fault. It was a terrible accident but that's all it was." Roxas tried to reason with his cousin.

"But it is my fault." Sora wailed helplessly. "He promised he'd never leave me. And I killed him!"

"Oh god Sora..." Roxas moaned. The blond felt so much heart ache for his cousin.

"Sometimes I have the urge to just go up to people and scream that Riku left me alone!" Sora sobbed out. "I miss him! But I hate him because he broke his promise...but I killed him! I miss him Roxas!"

"Sora..." the blond grabbed the sobbing brunet and drew him into a hug.

"I'm sorry Riku!" Sora screamed out. "Please come back. I miss you so much baby. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Roxas said nothing as he held onto his broken cousin. He had never seen Sora let go like this, not even during the funeral or the days following. He would cry and mourn but he never let go like this. Sora had so much guilt within his broken heart and it was only a matter of time before it boiled to the surface.

Roxas noticed that the tattoos had grown across Sora's skin and his arms were now covered in black and blue ink. It didn't matter to the sobbing brunet though, nothing did except his own pain and guilt. Roxas glanced around to see Leon standing next to them a look of pain on his own features.

Sora didn't notice as the nightmare dissolved only to be replaced by a new scene. It was another road but it was straight and there was no rain storm. Roxas noticed that the sun was just beginning to set. Warm light touched their soaked skin and clothing while a soft warm breeze blew over them and disturbed some leaves lying on the tarmac. Roxas didn't even need to ask whose memory this scene belonged to. Lying in the centre of the road in a pool of blood was a familiar blond man.

"Cloud..." Leon whispered so softly he sounded like a small child. "Oh god..." he fell beside the still blond man.

"Sora." Roxas spoke the name gently. "It's not your nightmare now."

"Leon?" the burnet said hoarsely when he managed to get himself under control. "Oh no..."

"I got the call late at night." Leon whispered as he tried to reach out to the blond but his hands passed through the body. "A passing family on vacation found him. They called an ambulance. He'd already lost so much blood."

"I'm sorry Leon." Sora whimpered.

"They never did get the bastard who did this." Leon seemed to be fighting back his own tears.

"You didn't know Leon." Roxas murmured.

"I didn't even get to tell him how much I love him." The taller man said before he finally broke.

Leon didn't cry when Cloud was lying in that hospital bed. He didn't cry when he got the phone call about the hit and run. He had to be strong and hold onto that spark of hope that Cloud would wake up. The blond did wake up from his coma but only briefly.

He talked about the Manor of Sleep and the tattooed man who was pulling him back in. Then when the tattoo emerged and Cloud began talking about the manor's curse Leon fell into his work to find a solution.

"I didn't even fucking cry!" Leon screamed as he tried t grab onto Cloud's body.

"Leon..." Sora pulled away from his cousin and approached the distraught older man. "It's ok to cry."

"I just want him back." Leon buried his face against Sora's neck when the shorter brunet wrapped his arms around the man's torso.

"I know." And he really did understand.

Roxas was silent but he observed the scene with a tiny smile on his face. Even with the pain and guilt he was carrying Sora still made an effort to help someone else with theirs. Riku said that his selflessness was one of the many reasons he was so in love with the small brunet. Before Roxas could do anything the scene shifted again and the trio were taken to a cold and dark chamber. They were now in a square chamber and men dressed in ceremonial robes were standing in two rows.

There was a large square hole in the ground and the priests were standing next to the hole. At the edge of the opening a man with long red hair was lying on his back while his spiky haired twin clasped his hands around his twin's neck and began to squeeze. Sora swallowed the bile gathering in his throat while Leon held onto the smaller boy. Roxas watched in horror as Axel, possessed by the spirit of the Shrine Twin Xehanort, slowly killed his twin.

Reno had been possessed by Xemnas, a Shrine Twin driven mad when his twin Xehanort left him alone in All God's Village. The ritual wasn't complete without the other twin and when Xemnas was forced to do the ritual alone the Malice escaped and consumed the village, leaving Xemnas the only survivor. Roxas tore his gaze away from the horrific sight, unable to face this nightmare for a second time. He heard Reno gasping for breath and Axel's screams as he killed his twin.

"Oh my god." Sora gasped when Reno finally fell limp and Axel was dragged off his body.

"This was how it ended." Roxas choked out. The robed men took Reno's body and tossed it into the pit below.

"The Crimson Sacrifice was completed and the Malice withdrew." Roxas gasped as fresh pain tore through his heart.

"Our worst nightmares...Zexion wants us to relive the pain again." Leon spat out.

"I don't want to see that again...I can't." Sora moaned.

"Then we'll find Zexion." Roxas stated firmly.

The scene dissolved again and the trio fell to the knees on a wooden floor. Sora was the first to recover from the unexpected dizziness and he glanced around the area he was now in. He and his friends were standing on a wooden walkway over dark water. There were yellow lilies floating in the water and Sora could make out a small shrine halfway across the walkway. They were inside a large stone chamber and water dripped down from the ceiling.

"What's that on the floor?" Leon asked when the trio walked across the walkway and stopped halfway across.

"It looks like pieces of a mirror." Roxas muttered.

"Maybe this is where Zexion cats off his attachments." Sora pointed out.

"Let's find out shall we?" Leon motioned for the boys to follow him.

They crossed the rest of the wooden walkway until they came to a stone door with arcane symbols and runes lining the stone. Each of them had their version of the Camera Obscura ready then Leon shoved the large stone door open.

A large chamber with lilies decorating the black floor opened before them. There was nothing within the chamber except for one thing. Directly in front of them were double stone doors that led into another chamber.

"I don't want to remember anymore." Sora gasped when he made out Zexion's figure walking towards the chamber.

"We'll make it out of this." Roxas swore.

They slowly made their way towards the Chamber of Thorns; Leon took the lead while Sora and Roxas stood side by side. When they finally reached the doorway Leon peered inside with his flashlight then he motioned for the cousins to follow him inside. The interior was pitch black, the beam of the light cutting clearly through the seemingly endless darkness. Sora let out a small scream when he realized what was inside the chamber.

Countless men had been impaled to the floor, walls and along the doorway. It was impossible to tell who Zexion was amide the utter horror of this place. Leon, Roxas and Sora gasped out when the feeling of being crushed alive overcame them and they fell to the knees amide the countless bodies.

Leon managed to glance towards the centre of the chamber and his flashlight caught something. In that moment Leon, Sora and Roxas were blinded by a bright light then they became lost in Zexion's memories...and his final moments with Demyx.


	17. The Unchained Heart

**Chapter Seventeen**

**The Unchained Heart **

Demyx gripped his small lantern as he walked through the thick darkness of the Chamber of Thorns. His little sister had told him exactly where to go to find the door into the chamber and Zexion's resting place. The only thing that kept Demyx on this path was his burning need to see Zexion again and free him from his cruel fate.

The blond moved through the mass of bodies lying around the cold stone floor of the chamber. He swung his lantern around, looking for the familiar head of lavender hair. Demyx felt rage building within his heart as he thought about the Ceremony Master.

The old man had made sure that Demyx had to leave the manor so that Zexion could perform the ritual with ease. It wouldn't work though, not after what they had done a few nights ago. Only Amala understood the love Demyx possessed for the beautiful priest but she told him that his feelings would lead him into ruin along with Zexion. The two boys couldn't find it in their hearts to care about the consequences of their actions. All that ever mattered was that they could just be with one another.

The blond musician made his way through the dark chamber then stopped when the light from his lantern caught something shiny. Demyx's breath caught in his throat and his heart hammered with excitement and fear as he approached the figure lying on the ground. The upper torso was naked and covered in horrid tattoos of holly and a large black snake. His legs were covered but his feet were staked into the ground along with his hands.

Demyx wanted to scram at the injustice of it all. His beautiful lover had been chosen from birth to become the Seeping Priest and later in his life he wasn't given a choice in the matter. It wasn't fair especially when the boys became best friends then lovers. Demyx had tried to get the Ceremony Master to prevent Zexion's ritual from happening but the old man ended up kicking Demyx out of the manor. The blond musician had been sent to Hollow Bastion to live out his life without the only guy he'd ever love.

"Zexion!" Demyx gasped in agony as he fell to the ground. "Oh god Zexy!"

"D-Demyx?" a choked whisper asked.

"Yeah, I'm here." The blond reached out to try and remove the stakes but it was useless.

"H-Heard...your...voice." Zexion whispered.

"I'm gonna get you out of here." Demyx glanced around for something that could help his lover.

"You're here...nothing else...matters." Zexion smiled softly.

"I kept dreaming about you Zexy." Demyx sobbed. His pretty eyes were glossy with tears. "When I was in Hollow Bastion I kept dreaming of you. I heard you calling for me."

"You came for me..." Zexion smiled happily.

"I'm taking you out of here." Demyx stroked the soft lavender coloured locks.

"Just...wanted to see...you one...more time..." Zexion murmured.

"Zexy...I love you." Demyx said fiercely and the priest opened his eyes to look upon the blond who always held his hart in his hands.

It happened before Zexion could even scream. Demyx didn't even hear the Ceremony Master sneaking up behind him with a meat cleaver in his hand. His horrid mask seemed to be smiling at Demyx then he raised the meat cleaver and drove it into the back of Demyx's head. Blood sprayed from his mouth and coated Zexion's tattooed flesh. When his body hit the floor Demyx was facing Zexion, his once bright eyes now empty...dead.

"D-Demyx?" Zexion whispered but his blond love did not stir. "No..."

"He shouldn't have entered the shrine." the Ceremony Master hissed.

"No..." Zexion moaned as the blood on his face mixed with his tears. Demyx's dead eyes stared back at him and he allowed his anger, grief and years of such pain to burst forth. "NOOOOO!!!"

Zexion screamed out as his eyes became tattooed along with his flesh. For the ritual to work the eyes must never be tattooed. It was all over in that moment. Zexion kept on screaming as his body died but his soul lashed out.

Bright light consumed the chamber and the first to fall to his wrath was the man responsible for killing Demyx. The Ceremony Master pleaded for his life and it only slightly amused Zexion. His heart had been broken and he had allowed his body to die in that chamber. All he had left was revenge.

Sora stumbled back along with a shocked Roxas and a stunned Leon as the light faded and Zexion's memoires became lost once more. It had been love that drove him to this madness. He had watched Demyx die in front of him. It had been enough to push him over the edge. Sora felt the rage mixed with the all consuming feeling of guilt. He knew those feelings all too well after Riku died. Leon slowly approached the place where Zexion's body should be while Roxas stayed with his shaking cousin. The blond shivered with the cold while his heart broke for Zexion.

"The Ceremony Master killed Demyx...right in front of him." Roxas murmured.

"He let himself die so he could release the Malice." Sora choked out. "The Sacred Stakes won't work."

"You're right Sora...his body is already staked into the floor." Leon said when he went back to the boys.

"What do we do now?" Roxas asked.

"We use the Camera Obscura..." Sora gripped the camera in his hands.

"He's too strong Sora." Roxas stated.

"But against the three of us..." Leon interrupted. "We could stop him."

"I think I know how to stop him..." Sora muttered.

Roxas never got a chance to ask Sora about that. The feeling of being crushed suddenly consumed them and the trio felt the overwhelming urge to escape from the Chamber of Thorns. This time they listened to that feeling and they fled from the terrible chamber and back out into the large stone room. When they got to the centre of the chamber Sora turned back and he saw Zexion standing at the doorway. His hands were glowing with blue and black energy. Two large wings sprouted from his back while his one visible black eye narrowed at the trio before him.

"Zexion!" Sora called out his name. "You have to stop punishing people!"

"The pain never stops." Zexion howled out. "I wanted to see him one more time."

"You don't have to keep punishing people!" Sora pleaded. "They've suffered enough."

"It will never be enough." Zexion snarled.

"I'm so sorry Zexion." Sora murmured. "But you don't leave us with any other choice."

Zexion screamed before raising his hand and throwing a large ball of blue energy towards Sora. Leon used the attack to snap off two shots directly into Zexion's face while Roxas pushed his cousin out of harm's way. The ghost snarled as he spread his wings and glided into the air. More blue energy rained down upon the trio as they dived behind some rocks to avoid being hit. Leon and Roxas were able to snap off a few more shots and force Zexion to glide lower to the ground. Sora ran behind the ghost so he could get a head shot.

Leon grabbed Roxas' free hand and pulled him away when Zexion sent a bolt of energy towards the rock so that it shattered into pieces. Sora snapped off a few shots so that Zexion would come towards him, giving Roxas and Leon time to line up their cameras. The ghost moved higher into the air, his wings flapping frantically as he blasted bolt after bolt towards Leon and Roxas.

"It hurts..." Zexion screamed.

"I can't get a clear shot." Leon hissed beside Roxas.

"Sora!" the blond called out.

The smaller brunet had been knocked to the ground violently when Zexion tossed an energy bolt near his feet. Sora hit the ground hard, the Camera Obscura flying from his grip as his vision swam. Leon ran towards the smaller brunet while Roxas snapped off a few shots at Zexion.

The ghost was still flying around the chamber making it difficult to line up a shot. Leon grabbed hold of Sora just as Zexion tossed another bolt towards the boy. Sora managed to grab hold of the camera before Leon pulled him behind a rock.

"We have to get him on the ground." Leon hissed.

"I'll be the diversion." Sora said as he glanced up to see Zexion making his way towards Roxas. "I'll get him in the back."

"Be careful!" Leon watched the smaller brunet leapt out from the rock and snap off a shot at Zexion's back.

"Why do you fight me?" the ghost demanded as he floated towards the ground.

"You have to stop punishing people." Sora cried.

"They took Demyx from me." Zexion whispered in agony. "No one should be happy now."

"Listen..." Sora gasped when the ghost touched the ground. "I know what it's like."

"You know nothing." Zexion reached out.

"I lost my fiancé!" Sora exploded. Tears streamed down his cheeks as Zexion's hand faltered. "I want him back more than anything. I miss him so much because it was my fault he died."

"You lost someone..." Zexion murmured.

"I love Riku so much." Sora whispered through the tears. "But I can't hurt anyone because of it. He wouldn't want that."

"The pain...I can't bear it anymore." Zexion looked into Sora's eyes. "The people in this manor deserved what they got."

"Please, just stop punishing everyone else." Sora pleaded. He had to get through to Zexion; he knew it was the only way to stop him.

"They all deserve it." Zexion snarled.

"That's your pain talking!" Sora pleaded desperately. "Would Demyx want this?"

"Demyx...he never hurt anyone...he was always so gentle." Zexion smiled wistfully. "He couldn't hurt anyone..."

"Would he have wanted this?" Sora pressed gently.

"No..." Zexion choked out then his black eyes snapped back onto Sora's gaze. "But I can't stop!"

As the ghost made a move to grab Sora Roxas aimed the Camera Obscura at Zexion's head and snapped off a Fatal Frame shot. Leon did the same thing immediately after Roxas damaged the ghost and the double attack forced Zexion to the ground as he covered his face. Sora backed away from the screaming ghost s he could aim his own camera at Zexion's head. He swallowed before aiming up the lens and taking the Fatal Frame shot.

"Demyx...forgive me..." Zexion sobbed as he collapsed onto the cold stone floor.

"Zexion..." Sora said softly.

"Through the Chamber of Thorns...there's the path to the Endless Sea." Zexion gasped as he continued to cry.

"What are you talking about?" Roxas asked.

"Take my body there...with Demyx...I want to stop dreaming." Zexion whispered.

"What about Cloud and Axel?" Leon asked tersely.

"I'm sorry...I don't want to hurt anymore... the Endless Sea is the door between this world and the next..." Zexion sobbed. He looked up and stared at Sora. "He's waiting for you there."

"He?" Sora felt his heart beating widely. Zexion looked back towards the Chamber of Thorns.

"Riku is there."


	18. The Unending Goodbye

**Chapter Eighteen**

**The Unending Goodbye **

Upon entering the Chamber of Thorns Sora noticed quite a difference now that Zexion had been stopped. The thick, choking darkness had dissipated leaving behind a terrible chamber full of pain, memories and death. Zexion's corpse was lying in the centre of the chamber along with Demyx.

The young blond looked as if he were sleeping but the large pool of blood gathered around his broken skull destroyed any peaceful illusion. They were both lying on their sides, facing one another in death. Sora noticed a small smile on Zexion's blue lips. He was at peace now.

Leon reached down and extracted the stakes from Zexion's body while Roxas pulled Demyx away. Leon lifted the dead Priest into his arms and stepped back so that Roxas could lift Demyx. The blue eyes blond was mildly surprised when he discovered that Demyx hardly weight anything.

Sora glanced around the chamber to find the entrance to the Endless Sea. He stopped when he saw a doorway with blue light spilling from the other side. He made his way towards the doorway and stopped so he could listen to the crashing waved beyond.

Sora walked through the door with Leon and Roxas close behind him carrying their cargo. Sora walked on through a dark tunnel until he reached a beach with silver sand and an endless ocean of dark water. The sky above glittered with millions of stars and a cool breeze washed over the beach. The place was the picture of tranquillity and calm. Sora turned to the light to see the source of golden light. There was a lantern attached to one end of a reed boat that was swaying in the water.

_Cast the boat, take a ride_

_The last trip to the other side_

_Once you'll get there _

_Sacred marks you'll bear_

Sora could hear the lullaby ringing in his mind as he approached the empty boat. It was big enough for two people to fit inside. Motioning for Leon and Roxas to bring Zexion and Demyx over Sora stepped back and let his friends send the dead lovers on their way. Zexion and Demyx were now lying on their sides facing one another. Zexion's arm was placed on Demyx's waist and that small smile seemed to glow. Leon pushed the boat away from the sand and out onto the ocean waves.

"Look..." Roxas breathed.

"My god..." Leon murmured and Sora could only nod in agreement.

As the boat left the shores silver light spilled from the Chamber of Thorns and across the sand. Figures started to emerge from the silver light so they could walk across the water. There had to be hundreds of them, the ghostly people were signing the lullaby as they walked on to the other side of the ocean. Leon and Roxas stood silently on the beach, their hearts constricting for the ghosts. It seemed Zexion's rage had indeed been great and encompassing.

"Riku..." Sora breathed out the name. He caught sight of long silver hair, a blue tank top and silver pants. The outfit he wore when he died that night.

"Sora." Roxas approached his cousin but the smaller brunet ran into the water and chased after his lover.

"Riku! I wanna come with you this time!" Sora cried out.

"Sora come back!" Leon called from the shore. "If you follow the dead you can never come back!"

"Don't leave me again Riku." Sora was sobbing now. "Please...come back..." the brunet was sobbing so badly now.

"Sora..." that voice...Sora stopped crying and looked up. Eyes he had missed so much were staring back at him. A face he longed to touch for two months glowed brightly in the silver light. "You have to go back."

"Riku." Sora didn't wait for an answer. He threw himself at the tall silver haired man and wrapped his arms around Riku's neck. "Oh god, I missed you so much."

Sora just stood there holding onto his lover as if his very life depended on it. That familiar scent filled his nostrils and he cried with relief. He buried his face in warm flesh and inhaled deeply, desperate to be as close to Riku as possible. He missed him so damn much. Sora sobbed with happiness when he felt arms wrap around his shaking body and Riku held him closely. This was how it was supposed to be...the two of them.

"I missed you too Sora." Riku smiled into the soft spiky hair.

"I wanted to go with you Riku. I wanted to be with you again." Sora sobbed.

"I understand how you feel Sora...but you have to go back." Riku pulled away to look into those beautiful sapphire eyes.

"No!" Sora grabbed Riku's tank top in his hands. "I won't let you go again."

"You won't be able to go back if you follow me Sora. You still have so much to live for." Riku stroked Sora's tear streaked face.

"But I need you Riku." Sora pleaded desperately. "I'm so sorry."

"Sora...it wasn't your fault. It was an accident I never blamed you for that." Riku gently caressed Sora's face in his hands. "If you die now I'll fade away. Please live for me."

As Riku said this Sora glanced down and stared in shock as the tattoos on his skin moved and glided across his flesh so that they wrapped around Riku's arms. His handsome face now had holly tattoos on his cheeks and under his aquamarine eyes while his arms and torso became covered in the black and blue ink. Sora felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his body and heart. He felt free in a way.

"Zexion will find peace eventually but until then I'll bear this curse for you. You have to go back. Roxas still needs you." Riku glanced towards the shore.

"Riku..." Sora let the tears fall.

"You live a good life for me Sora. If you don't I'll know about and I'll haunt your ass." Riku grinned in that way that always made Sora melt. The small brunet laughed.

"I'll see you again won't I?" he asked tentatively.

"I guarantee it."

Riku bent his head and pressed his lips to Sora's willing mouth. The burnet sighed with absolute happiness as a familiar warmth filled his mouth and his body, once so cold, was now alight. He wrapped his arms around Riku; neck and pressed his lips more forcefully against Riku's. Everything else just faded away, leaving the two of them alone in their reunion and goodbye. But this wasn't truly goodbye, just a see you later kiss. He would see Riku again...Sora knew that and he was happy.

"I love you." he breathed against pink lips.

"I love you too Sky." Riku smiled as he let go and backed away towards the silver light.

Sora watched him go with a sense of relief and freedom. He no longer felt that terrible crushing guilt crushing his soul into nothingness. He smiled brightly as Riku flashed him that winning smile once more. Sora waved to him and watched as the silver haired man vanished into the silver light along with all the other ghosts. Leon and Roxas approached Sora, worry on their faces but Sora only smiled.

"Everything's ok now." he smiled and closed his eyes as he woke up.

* * *

**Three years later**

Sora Kurosawa cursed as he ran through the building to reach his office on time. The traffic had been bad on his way into Radiant Garden and he was running a few minutes late. His boss would want his newest pictures that were now resting in the brown envelope he was carrying. It was Roxas' fault that he was running late. The blond forgot to set the damn alarm clock again but Sora figured that he had to get his own clock one of these days. He had run out of the apartment, leaving Roxas and Axel alone.

So much had happened in the three years since the Manor of Sleep incident. Axel had made a full recovery and although he still took medication for depression he was getting better. Roxas helped him to understand that Reno's death wasn't his fault. Slowly but surely the red head was beginning to believe that. Sora had ever seen Roxas look so happy. Just mentioning Axel's name made Roxas glow and smile. Sora was so happy for his cousin.

When Cloud woke up Leon took him out of Radiant Garden and out into Twilight Town to see his old friends. Sora and Roxas had been invited to the reunion and they watched as Cloud got reacquainted with his friends. Cloud and Leon had tied the knot last year and the two now ran a popular delivery business along with Cloud's childhood friend Tifa Lockhart. Sora was snapped out of his thoughts when he collided with someone.

"Oh my god I am so sorry." A musical voice cried out.

"That's ok; I wasn't looking where I was..." Sora trailed off when he got a good look at the guy he bumped into. "Going..."

The guy in front of him was breathtaking. He had long white hair that cascaded down his back and a white feather was visible in his hair. He was clutching a few books to his chest and the light purple top he was wearing defined his torso.

Sora felt his eyes widen when he saw that this angel was wearing a plaited skirt and black boots below his knees. His blue eyes were highlighted by red and green eye shadow and his nails had been painted black. He looked like an angel.

"I'm really sorry." he murmured.

"It's ok. I'm Sora Kurosawa by the way." Sora stuck out his hand. A smile blossomed across that amazing face and Sora felt his heart flutter.

Sora had kept his promise to Riku and he had lived his life to the fullest. He was now a respected photographer and his name was a well known one around Radiant Garden. Even though he had a great job and amazing friends he never found someone that could pique his interest as much as Riku did. He knew he would always love Riku, but there was a part of him that wanted to find someone again. Maybe this angelic creature was what he had been waiting for...

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He shook Sora's hand. "I'm new here."

"Oh, in that case how about I show you around?" Sora offered. He could hand in his pictures later.

"I'd like that." he smiled brightly. Sora smiled back and for the first time since he said goodbye to Riku he felt a certainty about his future.

"What's your name?" Sora asked. He didn't miss the pretty blush that painted this man's cheeks.

"I'm Kuja Tribal."

_Yeah, I'm living every day for Riku just like I promised. I have Roxas, Axel, Leon and Cloud. We're leaving that nightmare behind. I think it's time for me to move on now with my heart. Hmmm...I hope Kuja likes coffee._

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**Note-**It's over my loyal viewers. After 18 chapters this story comes to an end. If any of you guys wanna do a story like this then you have my full permission. Just don't copy it word for word. I could always write a prequel about Roxas, Axel and Reno and their adventure into All God's Village. The idea I had for a sequel was this: Sora goes to takes pictures of an old mansion in the woods but he vanishes leaving Kuja Tribal, a man gifted with Second Sight, to find him. This would be based more on the first Fatal Frame game. Tell me what you think and I'll see what I can write. Till then take care everyone and god bless.


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